Wildlife Center of Virginia to present program at ShenanArts home theater

The Wildlife Center of Virginia, a leading teaching and research hospital for native wildlife, will present a snake program to students at the ShenanArts theater in Staunton on Thursday, Nov. 21.

The program begins at 9 a.m, before a special student presentation of The Wind in the Willows.

Lauren Edzenga, the Center’s Outreach Educator, will present information about native snakes of Virginia, including how to co-exist with these often-misunderstood wild animals. Joining Edzenga will be a non-releasable snake ambassador.

ShenanArts Theater contacted the Wildlife Center to unite in this special presentation for local students; both non- profit organizations recognized the opportunity to enrich students on their understanding of local wildlife while enjoying local arts. Wind In The Willows is a family-friendly story that shares the adventures of a toad, a mole, a rat, and other woodland creatures. The theme is friendship and supporting each other.

Additional information about the program can be found here: https://shenanarts.org/index.html. The Wildlife Center will provide real-life context of these creatures, and the importance of their balance in nature.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia is an internationally acclaimed teaching and research hospital for wildlife and conservation medicine. Since its founding in 1982, the nonprofit Center has cared for more than 80,000 wild animals, representing 200 species of native birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. The goal of the Center is “to treat to release” – to restore patients to health and return as many as possible to the wild.

The Center’s public education programs share insights gained through the care of injured and orphaned wildlife, in hopes of reducing human damage to wildlife. In

July 2011, the Center launched an online Critter Cam, which allows wildlife enthusiasts around the world to watch a variety of Center patients and resident education animals. Patients that are commonly “featured” on one of the three Critter Cam feeds include rambunctious Black Bear cubs, a young Bobcat patient, and Center permanent residents Rowan [a Red-tailed Hawk] and Buttercup [a charismatic Black Vulture].

A link to Critter Cam can be found at www.wildlifecenter.org.

 

ShenanArts Theater is a non-profit organization with the mission to build bridges in our community through the shared experience of live theatre.