The Keepers Club is for children ages 5-14, and provides many hands-on opportunities to interact with the creatures that reside at the Children’s Museum Wildlife Sanctuary in West Hartford.

Spaces are open for children to join the Keepers Club at the Children’s Museum in West Hartford. Submitted photo

Submitted

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to feed vitamins to a ferret, or to give a chinchilla a bath? How about handling lizards and snakes, or discovering the unique personality and eccentricities of frogs, turtles, and other cool creatures? These and many other exciting, hands-on opportunities exist for children aged 5 to 14 at The Children’s Museum’s Wildlife Sanctuary in West Hartford. This program for animal lovers and enthusiasts is called the Keepers Club, and slots are filling now for the next sessions.

“This is a wonderful chance for students to learn about and spend time with animals with which they have little opportunity to interact,” explains Jay Kaplan, Director of the Wildlife Sanctuary at The Children’s Museum. “Our Keepers Club programs are very ‘hands-on’ and will allow participants to learn about animal care including feeding, grooming and general handling of the wide range of animals living in the Museum’s Wildlife Sanctuary.”

The Keepers Club has three levels each comprised of four unique classes that focus on one of our Wildlife Sanctuary residents. The cost of each session includes all four classes. Pre-registration is required, and the sessions are limited to six participants per four-week program.

Wildlife Investigators (ages 5-6) – Is your child fascinated by wildlife? The goal of this program is to provide a stepping stone for younger students to gain basic knowledge about animals and nature. This program runs on Saturdays from 10 to 10:45 a.m. on Feb. 4, March 4, April 1, and May 6. The cost is $70 for members or $90 for non-members.

Amateur Naturalist (ages 7-9) – A continuation of Wildlife Investigators this program gives students the opportunity to further expand their knowledge about animals and nature. Saturdays from 11 to 11:45 a.m. on Feb. 4, March 4, April 1, May 6. The cost is $70 for members or $90 for non-members.

Junior Keepers (10-14) – Go behind the scenes and learn what it takes to be an animal keeper. You will assist the Wildlife Sanctuary staff in feeding, grooming while learning general animal husbandry. Participants in our Keepers program often continue on to become volunteers in the Wildlife Sanctuary. This program runs on Wednesday afternoons from 3 to 4 p.m. The cost is $80 for members or $100 for non-members.

Registration is available online at www.TheChildrensMuseumCT.org. For more information about the Junior Keepers program contact Nick Barnett at [email protected] or 860-726-4011.

The Children’s Museum and Roaring Brook Nature Center are the region’s premiere destinations for exploration and education. Home to over 100 live animals, the Museum features hands-on exhibits, out-of-this-world digital planetarium shows, and programs for young children and families.

The Children’s Museum and Preschool are located at 950 Trout Brook Dr. in West Hartford and Roaring Brook Nature Center is located at 70 Gracey Rd. in Canton. More information is available at www.TheChildrensMuseumCT.org.