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Beaver residents enjoy fest
By Sean Barron
NORTH LIMA
If it has six legs or more, chances are good that James Smolka could easily walk through a conversation about it.
“A tarantula can detect light, dark and movement, and that’s about it,” Smolka, of Hinckley, Ohio, told a small crowd of youngsters gathered next to his table on which were displayed many types of insects.
Smolka is an entomologist who runs an educational program about insects called Bugs Unlimited. He also was among the attractions of Saturday’s third annual Autumn Festival at the Beaver Township Nature Preserve on state Route 165.
The four-hour gathering was geared toward nature and intended to better educate people about and deepen their appreciation for wildlife, noted Scott Conway, the nature preserve’s administrator.
Smolka showed his audience how a Chaco golden-knee tarantula can emit a silklike substance from its rear. The material often helps such spiders line burrows they live in and alert them to danger, he noted.
“If you ever have one for a pet, it’s a long commitment,” Smolka said, adding that tarantulas can live up to 30 years.
His other companions included a tailless whip scorpion from Tanzania, desert centipedes, a Chinese praying mantis, African assassin bugs and millipedes.
Things were a bit more still, however, at Dave Naukam’s tent.
Naukam, a volunteer with the nonprofit Beaver
Creek Wildlife Educational Center in East Liverpool, had on display animal specimens such as a river otter, a muskrat, a red-tailed hawk and a black bear, all of which had been preserved through taxidermy.
Many people are unaware of the diverse wildlife Ohio offers, partly because they have few or no encounters with many species, he explained.
“A lot of these animals are nocturnal. [The festival] gives people a chance to see something they wouldn’t ordinarily see,” he said.
Many people, though, were happy to see 14-year-old Joe Humenic, a member of North Lima-based Boy Scout Troop 80 who was recognized for his service project on behalf of the nature preserve.
For his Eagle Scout project, Joe spearheaded an effort to install a flagpole, along with a complemen- tary concrete pad and flowers. The work took two or three weeks and was to bring greater exposure to the preserve, said Joe, who’s been a Scout since 2008.
Other attendees got close to a variety of owls brought by Birds in Flight Sanctuary Inc. of Howland, a nonprofit center that rescues and rehabilitates, then releases sick, orphaned and injured birds and mammals. The nonprofit organization is seeking volunteers and contributions. To donate, call Heather Merritt at 330-652-3381, or go to www.birdsinflightsanctuary.com.
The festival also featured hayrides and pony rides, a petting zoo, rope-making demonstrations and an antique-tractor display.