Creepy and spooky, but important to our environment
WATERVILLE – Some animals are just naturally spooky, eerie and even downright scary, but that doesn’t mean they should be feared or – worse yet – mistreated. That’s why Nature’s Nursery and BluSky Renovation are inviting the public to meet up close and personal the animals most associated with Halloween.
Critter Crawl will be from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24, at BluSky’s facility at 1300 Michigan St. in Waterville. It’s family friendly and free, but guests are encouraged to donate an item to Nature’s Nursery.
The purpose of the event is to have the public “learn about and interact with a variety of animals that don’t always get the love they deserve: bats, toads, snakes and more,” said Allison Aey, Nature’s Nursery executive director. “While often associated with the spookiness of Halloween and fall, these animals are not nearly as scary as the season portrays them to be.”
Nature’s Nursery is a local nonprofit that provides care for injured, orphaned or ailing wild animals, and conducts conservation educational programs for the public. Its wildlife experts will be at Critter Crawl to “introduce you to these fascinating creatures, bust some myths and give you a chance to meet them up close,” Aey said.
“Bats get such a bad rap,” she said, adding they’re good for the ecosystem because they eat insects that harm crops. The local bat population is down about 80 percent in Northwest Ohio, she said, which has resulted in a rise in insects. Farmers are using more pesticides to kill the bugs, “but pesticides are bad for crops and other insects, and they run into waterways,” she explained.
According to Aey, misunderstanding of bats and other creatures the public tends to fear leads to their being trapped or killed “because people don’t understand their purpose to the ecosystem. Our goal is to teach people that they’re not so scary and not so creepy and the value they bring to the environment.”
Nature’s Nursery’s wildlife experts will share fun facts and give informative talks.
BluSky is opening its site for the event, not only for people to see and learn about the animals, but to showcase its facility. BluSky restores homes damaged by floods, fires and other disasters. BluSky representatives will provide pumpkin decorating, coloring and other fun activities.
Brittany Bostdorff, BluSky’s business development manager, said that in December longtime company J&R Restoration became part of BluSky, a national business. “We want to show the Waterville community that we’re still the same people, the same company,” she said. “We’ve just grown.”
Bostdorff added, “We want to show people our space and have them get to know us, see the animals, get to know Nature’s Nursery; they can always use more donations. We are excited for that exposure for both of us.”
Attendees are encouraged to bring items such as paper towels, cleaning supplies, wood chip animal bedding, piddle pads and grocery store gift cards to help Nature’s Nursery.
Aey said Nature’s Nursery rescues, rehabilitates and releases into the wild about 3,000 animals a year. In its busy season, as many as 800 animals are at their facility at one time. The nonprofit is transitioning from its longtime Whitehouse base to its new location in Waterville.
“We want to teach people to have a cautious respect for these animals, not a fear,” Aey said. “They’re still wide animals, and they can bite. If you see them in the wild, appreciate them, but let them be. Understand the job they do in the environment.”
Nature's Nursery's mission: To improve the well-being of Northwest Ohio wildlife populations and habitats through public education and rehabilitation with an emphasis on coexistence.
