EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA

Merrimack Valley

Children get up close look at animals

By Keri Letourneau
Correspondent
Published: July 23, 2008

METHUEN — Children squealed with delight as a variety of animals commanded center stage at the Nevins Memorial Library yesterday.

Ed Laquidara, owner of Animal Adventures of Bolton, brought many animals including a lemur, a snapping turtle, a boa constrictor, a red fox, a lizard, an alligator, a marmoset, and a rain forest creature known as kinkajou (or sugar bear) to the library as part of an ongoing educational series.

"The alligator looked very cool," said Allison Sholds, 9. "I love alligators."

"I liked the lemur," said Emily Condon, 10. "He was funny. But the other animals were really good too."

About 100 children in grades four through six take part in the 21st Century Summer Program, a program for Methuen children sponsored by a 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant from the state.

As part of the four-week summer program, Laquidara was hired to teach the children about different animals, even allowing a good number of them to come up to the stage to pet and feed the animals.

"I think the best thing is to educate people about animals," said Laquidara. "That way people can make their own intelligent decisions about what animals they want to work with and what they can do to help them. If you put an animal in front of them, it will stick with them. It makes it more personal."

The idea for the event came out of the library's summer theme of "Wild Reads at your Library" that features an assortment of facts about different animals around the children's center.

"Animal interest is very high in this town," said Kathy Moran-Wallace, head of children's services at the library. "I hope the show inspires them (the children) to read more about a particular animal they found interesting."

This summer, the program also offers children activities including cooking, dance, drama, reading and fitmath — aerobic activities that incorporate mathematics terminology.

"Grants for after-school and summer programs are absolutely vital, especially because many parents have to work and are not home in the summer to do enrichment activities with their children," said Jane Sigillo, overseer of the 21st Century Grant and supervisor of the language acquisition department with Methuen public schools. "A lot of kids would not be able to continue to keep that academic edge in the summer without it."

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