At The Wild Center In Tupper Lake

Even before I got to Jackies house this morning I felt like The Wild Center had come to me when a Bobcat crossed the road in front of my car.   I was going slow enough and it was close enough for me to see the spots in her fur and the little tufts of hair on her ears and her stubby tail.   On the other side of the road she turned and looked back and I got to see her beautiful face.

I took it as a good sign.

I would be away from the farm for the whole day, something I haven’t done in years.  Jon and I made plans so he would have help if he needed it, but I was a bit nervous about leaving.

It was a beautiful drive to The Wild Center.  Two hours of lakes, trees and views of the Adirondack Mountains.

The first thing my friend Jackie and I did was find the woman who would take Jackies tree frog and give it a new home at the center.

The woman we met with has a special mission of introducing the more “common” animals to people so they can see them for who they really are, without the negative  stereotypes that are often attached to them.

We got a tour  behind the scenes, and got to see how well the animals in their care are treated.

First we met a woodchuck who took a treat from both  Jackie and me and stood outside his enclosure eating it. Relative to the squirrel, he held the treat in both hands and chewed it noisily as we stood around watching him.

There were a pair of Ravens one who came to the center as an infant and is too familiar with people to be let free, the other has an injured wing.

There were two Barred Owls that had recently come in.  One was injured but is healing the other an infant who couldn’t fly.  Both will be let out into the wild soon.

We met a 19 year old Porcupine and an albino Porcupine.  Also turtles, snakes and an otter who was taking a break from being in the otter pool which is on view to visitors.

All the animals  at the center  can’t live in the wild for some reason, because of injury or that they grew up around people and couldn’t survive in the wild.  There was even a pigeon who kept landing on people’s heads, so is now a part of the demonstrations.

We learned the difference between Ravens and Crows.

Ravens are so much bigger and travel in pairs (they mate for life).  They have thick beaks compared the slimmer ones that crows have.  On the way home Jackie and I used what we learned to identify a Raven eating roadkill.  “Raven,” we both yelled at the same time when we saw its big black beak.

The center itself was a wealth of information about the animals who live in the Adirondacks.  Lots of reptiles and fish and of course the otters.

We had enough time to take the walk through the tree tops which was lovely even in the rain. At one end was an elevated platform the size of the biggest Bald Eagle nest ever recorded.  It was an amazing 10 feet across.  Bald Eagles add onto their nest every year so they can grow bigger and bigger. The nest had been reworked and occupied for 17 years ( I think I have that right).

We saw a couple of the giant trolls which were impressive.  And we marveled at Patrick Doughery’s sculpture Stickwork . (Jackie said she could see me living in it)

We didn’t get to go on many of the trail, there just wasn’t enough time.  But we might go back again sometime, there is still more to see.

Or we might take another day trip somewhere else.

We both have the same enthusiasm for  animals and nature.  We don’t get bored reading the information signs enjoying them  as much as seeing the animals or flowers and trees themselves.

When I got home Jon was at his computer posting his Flower Photos as usual.  Bud was fast asleep on his wicker bench, and Fate and Zinnia were happy to go out with me when I closed the pasture gate.  The sheep and donkeys were staying dry in the barn,  the hens were roosting under the coop,  and Zip was napping on the back porch.

Everyone did just fine without me for the day.