Pets/Animals

Homemade Pet Toys

This post contains suggestions for how to earn your Animal Lover: On the Scene and Be Creative: On the Scene badges.
Learn more and earn badges on the Connect Your Summer page.

taramscott

Do you ever feel exasperated when you buy your pet a brand new, expensive, toy and they’d rather play with the box it came in? Join us as we show you how to make awesome homemade toys for your furry friends out of things you can find around the house. This program is open to all ages and families are encouraged to attend. No registration required.

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Nature Discovery Live Animal Exhibit

This post contains suggestions for how to earn your Animal Lover: On the Scene badge.
Learn more and earn badges on the Connect Your Summer page.

visnawj

Enjoy a zoo-like experience when you stroll past aquarium tanks for close-ups looks at Michigan reptiles and amphibians!  Nature Discovery will bring over a dozen tanks (filled with a variety of local species of frogs, salamanders, snakes, and turtles) for your viewing pleasure, plus they will answer questions and provide opportunities for feeding turtles and handling snakes.  Drop in any time during the exhibit hours.  All ages welcome!

Upcoming sessions

There are no upcoming sessions available.

Going Batty

February 29, 2016 | Alyssa Y

Bats sometimes get a bad rap, but these fuzzy creatures have a lot of positive things to offer! Most bats don't drink blood, and many bats love to eat fruit. Insect-eating bats eat their own body weight in insects every night! They naturally pollinate hundreds of plants around the world, spread seeds which allow plants to grow, and eat bugs at farms so that farmers don't have to use as many pesticides.

However, bats have had a difficult time lately, and many North American bat colonies have been devastated by white-nose syndrome, a disease caused by a white fungus on affected bats' wings and noses. 

You can learn more about bats and white-nose syndrome by checking out the resources below.

Additionally, you can visit the Organization for Bat Conservation to learn how to #savethebats, and you can even visit the Bat Zone at their new, expanded home to see live bats, sloths, flying squirrels, and more!

[Photo of a local big brown bat courtesy of the Organization for Bat Conservation]

Suggested Reads for Kids

Movies with Furry Friends for Families

February 24, 2016 | Boydl
Air bud [videodisc]

Buddy's a basketball-playing golden retriever who finds a friend in the lonely misfit Josh and teaches him about the game. Bonus feature: Dog-U-Commentary - the Buddies dish about the story that started it all.

The movies feature an animal actor or animated critters that the whole family can enjoy.

The Adventures of Milo and Otis [videodisc]

A young cat and dog discover the dangers and delights of the outside world when they wander away from the farm.

Save A Spider Day

February 23, 2016 | visnawj
spider web

Catch a web-full of amazing spider-facts with the Leslie Science & Nature Center when they stop by for Save A Spider Day on Sunday, March 13, 2:00-3:00 PM.  Registration for this educational program about nature's amazing arachnids is required and begins February 23. For all ages.

Photo Spider web by Charles Dawley (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

So You Want a Pet

February 16, 2016 | Boydl

These kids books about animals can give a little bit of insight about the care and ownership of furry friends. These books can also teach kids about the humane ways to treat animals. 

A kid's best friend by Maya Ajmera

Describes the special relationship that exists between children and their pet dogs all around the world.

Dogku by Andrew Clements

A haiku poem about a loveable dog.

Books to Get Your Goat

February 10, 2016 | Alyssa Y

Enjoy a few books about goats!

Billy and Goat at the state fair by Dan Yaccarino

A visit to the state fair cements the friendship between a boy and a goat who are very different from one another.

The Bully Goat Grim [kit] : a Maynard Moose tale by Willy Claflin

A big bully, afflicted with Random Hostility Syndrome, terrorizes all of the forest animals until a clever young troll gets his goat.

New Breeds Added to AKC

January 8, 2016 | sobczakd

Two new dog breeds were added to the American Kennel Club's recognized list of purebreds; the American Hairless Terrier and the Sloughi. These new additions brings the number of purebreds in the registry to 189, one of the largest in the world. Now recognized by the AKC, this will allow the new breeds to compete in events, such as The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show which will be presented live from Madison Square Garden in NYC on February 15 and 16.  

Image icon americanhairlessterrier.jpg
Image icon sloughi.png
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