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Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center has the right stuff
Beaver Creek Wildlife Educaton
Video
The Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center, 12798 Echo Dell Road, will finally have a ribbon cutting ceremony at noon Saturday. Volunteers have created and run the facility near East Liverpool for 11 years. Jim Kerr, who retired after 30 years as a Beaver Local biology teacher, wound up becoming the curator and preservationist. He had acquired stuffed animals from the school district but didn’t have a place to put them. After talking to state officials, the stuffed animals were put in a building belonging to the park.
The Vindicator (Youngstown)
Photo
Jonathan Beveridge, 7, of East Palestine checks out an eagle displayed at the Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center.
EAST LIVERPOOL
The Beaver Creek Wildlife Education Center, 12798 Echo Dell Road, will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon Saturday for the latest addition to the facility.
Volunteers have created and run the facility near East Liverpool for 11 years.
Jim Kerr, who retired after 30 years as a Beaver Local schools biology teacher, wound up becoming the curator and preservationist.
He had acquired stuffed animals from the school district but didn’t have a place to put them. After talking to state officials, the stuffed animals were put in a building belonging to Beaver Creek State Park.
Former state Rep. Linda Bolon and state Sen. Jason Wilson then came up with $300,000 that went to the education center.
The result, in part, Kerr said, “is the amazement room.”
It’s called that because the first thing most people say when they enter the room is “Wow!”
The room includes stuffed animals displayed in settings representing different seasons of the year.
There is a mounted gray wolf, a great gray owl and the boreal owl.
There also is a very realistic black bear and a bobcat.
The center volunteers have gone to great lengths to recreate the outdoors. Grass and flowers that appear to be live from six inches away are fake. They also are appropriate for the seasons in the displays.
Kathy Cattrell, treasurer for the organization, showed a visitor a viewing room “where people can sit and use binoculars and books to determine the birds outside.” She said the center has 1,000 books and other publications.
There is a hands-on room for kids and adults to touch some items, and a plant room and information on caring for plants.
The center has a wood case of stuffed birds from England; the case was made before 1900.
Another curio at the facility is a case containing a wide variety of eggs.
The building also has room for live turtles and snakes, rocks, minerals, shells and a hands-on room for kids.
The center is open from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays from the first weekend in May through the first weekend in October.
For more information, email beavercreekw@aol,com; or visit http://www.beavercreekwildlife.org.