Last week, our Lower School students enjoyed an exciting visit from WildCare, Marin's renowned wild animal rescue organization, bringing students up close to some beautiful taxidermied and incredible live animals, including a Northern Spotted Owl, a Desert Tortoise, and a Virginia Opossum. As students observed these rescued animals, they learned the importance of caring for and respecting our local ecology. The presenters shared amazing facts that challenged common misconceptions—like how opossums, often seen as pests, are highly useful neighbors, eating rats and snails and helping prevent the spread of disease. The Northern Spotted Owl, a key species in forest ecosystems, relies on old-growth trees for survival, highlighting the need for conservation efforts. Meanwhile, Mohave, the 70-year-old Desert Tortoise, amazed students with his ability to survive harsh conditions by storing water in its body. This visit sparked curiosity and excitement and deepened students’ understanding of how creatures adapt to their environment and how humans play a role in their survival.

Did you know...

• Compared to humans and giraffes, who have just seven neck bones, owls have 14! This extra flexibility is essential because their large eyes lack muscles to move them, so they rely on their necks to rotate up to 270° for a wide field of vision.
• Opossums are immune to rattlesnake venom and actually can't control their defense mechanism of playing dead! When 'playing dead' their heart rate lowers considerably and they emit a foul rotten smell to discourage getting eaten!
• Desert tortoises can survive on only one drink of water per year! They've figured out how to eat cacti to provide their hydration safely.