Perkins School children received some awesome guests March 9 from World of Wildlife Educational Encounters (WOWEE), the famed Walworth-based wildlife educational organization. Sally Reaves, executive director of the organization, along with WOWEE members Dan and Dolly Guck and Doris Lannon, a WOWEE affiliate, were presenters at three programs at the Pre-K through 2 school that included a wide array of animals. Headlining the “Animal Ambassadors of Planet

Animals 101World of Wildlife Educational Encounter Shows Highlight “Go Wild About Books _ Read” Reading Week At Perkins

Earth” program were: Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, hairless rats, Everest, an Arizona Mountain King snake; Monty, the Ball python, Noah, the boa constrictor; Chomp, the Mata Mata turtle; Tabitha the tortoise; Tater, the Goffins cockatoo; Dobbie, the fennec fox, Rudy, the Patagonian cavy; Peabody, the coatimundi; Sawabu, the Serval cat; Hanna, the wallaby; Zoches, a common marmoset; Lint and Charmin, the chinchillas; Fitch the American alligator; and

Jasara, a black-backed jackal. And judging from the childrens’ reactions, the kids really loved them.

Perkins Library Assistant and Reading Week Coordinator Ruth Brown, who cleverly wove the WOWEE programs smack dab in the middle of the week, which this year was called “Go Wild About Books _ Read!,” said she heard nothing but enthusiastic raves from students and staff about the WOWEE program. “One student, Carter Steve was so excited he said: “Mrs. Brown, this was the best assembly that I’ve ever been to,” she said. Brown, who not only enjoyed the WOWEE programs, bravely and good-naturedly took part in two of them by participating in what Reaves calls “Fear Deal” _ a combination of

“Fear Factor” and “Let’s Make A Deal.” In the hilarious segment, contestants pick a box. One of them held the Madagascar Hissing cockroaches; another, the hairless rats; and the third _ a series of four snakes ranging from small to huge

which was the biggest deal and the one Brown chose. And she was amazing, doing her absolute best

to maintain her courage and a sense of humor. And shall we add awe, as one after one the snakes were brought out until she found herself either holding or being coiled about with four of them as the excited audience of children and staff laughed, shouted and cheered. Thankfully, after a few seconds, the snakes were retrieved by the WOWEE volunteers. “It didn’t feel as creepy as I thought it would,’’ Brown said later. “As a matter of fact, the experience has truly taken away

my fear of most snakes. And I think it helped reinforce to the children that they too don’t have to fear most snakes.”

A very unusual treat for the children March 9 was their chance to view Jasara, a one-year-old black-backed jackal, owned and trained by Lannon. She said she is the only one she knows of that has exhibited a black-backed jackal, which is native to Africa, that is over a year old. With help from WOWEE volunteers Reaves annually conducts educational programs with exotics and other animals for children in schools and at colleges and other locations and events throughout the Finger Lakes, the state and elsewhere. WOWEE will hold another “Wildlife Extravanga” at the Palmyra Fairgrounds off Jackson Street June 4&5.

Reaves, whose educational outreach has long transcended the Finger Lakes region, has appeared with her animals on such programs as NBC’s “Today Show” with Mutual of Omaha’s Emmy-award winning zoologist Jim Fowler and Jack Hanna, who appears with animals on various television programs. A wildlife educator, Reaves’ says her mission is to teach children, at an early age, about how amazing animals are, and to value and protect them and the environment they live in. So at the end of the three, nearly hour-long shows

with the children at Perkins, Reaves told her young audiences how important it is that they learn to really value and do what they can in their lives to see that animals are protected for generations to come.

Other Reading Week activities at Perkins included: • A book fair held all week in the Home Living Center. • A Family Fun Night March 8 from 6 to 7 p.m.. Also March 8, children came to school dressed in a “wild way” to observe “Wild Dress Day.” They were also encouraged to style their hair in wild and crazy ways. • The annual Head Band Making Day March 10, in which students made unusual head bands in their classes that they wore to the Closing

Ceremony March 11. • The Closing Ceremony featured the “world famous” Book Cover Parade and Library Boogie and a special surprise visit by a gorilla who revealed that by week’s end Perkins School children, in school and at home, had amazingly exceeded their goal of reading 1,000 books by reading a total of 2,024.