By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Sea Isle City is passionate about its turtles.
The fictional Sara the Turtle is famously known as the town mascot, symbolizing Sea Isle’s concern for the environment.
A group called Sea Isle Terrapin Rescue acts as a protector of the diamondback terrapins that emerge from the marshlands each summer to lay their eggs in the sandy soil.
But even the turtles will be overshadowed on Saturday April 13, during a free, family-friendly “Zoo-to-You” event presented by the Cape May County Zoo and featuring some slithering snakes and other creatures. It will be held 10:30 a.m. at the Sea Isle City branch of the Cape May County Library at 4800 Central Ave.
Nikki Freyer, zoo educator, said the other types of “ambassador” animals that are typically part of the Zoo-to-You program include a hedgehog, an armadillo and a large rodent called a Patagonian mara.
Freyer explained that the children and adults at the Zoo-to-You events usually aren’t allowed to touch the snakes or animals, but can get very close to them while they are being handled by the zoo staff.
“Just being there and observing the animals up close is going to be a lot of fun,” she said in an interview.
As the name of the Zoo-to-You program implies, the idea is to bring some of the zoo’s animals, mammals and reptiles directly to the public to build a deeper understanding and appreciation of nature.
“Basically, our goal is conservation and spreading awareness and connecting people with animals and nature,” Freyer said.
Zoo educators will provide a presentation covering everything from camouflage to animal adaptations.
“They’re usually really excited and elated. They have a lot of questions. The adults are the same,” Freyer said of the children and grownups who attend the presentations.
In addition to libraries, the Cape May County Zoo also holds Zoo-to-You presentations at schools, assisted-living facilities, campgrounds and summer camps.
The Sea Isle event is being hosted by the Cape May County Library Children’s Department as part of the library’s public outreach programs. Kristin Stech, children’s librarian, believes this is the first time Zoo-to-You is being held at the Sea Isle library branch.
“Being that this is the first time, I’m not exactly sure what to expect,” she said, laughing.
Stech noted that Zoo-to-You is one way that the library staff tries to “think outside the box” to engage the public with events that are fun, educational and free. It is also a way to draw more visitors to the library and showcase its collection of books and other material, she pointed out.
“Kids love animals, so we thought it’s a great way to get people into the library,” Stech said.
For more information on the Zoo-to-You presentation April 13, visit the Cape May County Library online event calendar at cmclibrary.org or call (609) 463-6350, ext. 300, or contact the Cape May County Zoo at (609) 465-6832 or education@cmczoo.com.
