Bear Poop and Bobcats
When You Go
Learning about ecology at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center
By Kara Williams
“Eeeeewwwww!” cried my daughter as we moved in to get a closer look at the item on display at the black bear exhibit at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center. “That’s disgusting!” she concluded, smiling and clearly impressed with the gross-out factor of the “rectal plug” of digested food emitted from a bear’s intestines after a season of dormancy.
Indeed, that display was among the ickier exhibits we encountered during our visit to the Science Center last summer—but also among the most memorable. In fact, even months later, my children still talk about animals we saw and things we did at this 200-acre nature preserve in Holderness, New Hampshire—skipping along the dirt trail and over wooden footbridges to the dozen or so animal enclosures; putting together a skeleton of deer bones; and moving efficiently like otters down a two-story slide.
Located on New Hampshire’s Squam Lake (of On Golden Pond fame), the Science Center makes learning about ecology fun for kids. Much more than a zoo, it gives visitors the opportunity to see animals—from mountain lions and bobcats to eagles and owls—in their natural habitats. Most animals here have been injured or orphaned and are unable to take care of themselves. A clearly marked, rolling trail leads guests from one animal enclosure to the next.
In addition to the hands-on activities mentioned above, my four- and six-year-old children loved playing “migration pinball,” where they learned about the hazards birds face when they fly to and from different climates each year. And they enjoyed leaping like a mountain lion, comparing their distances to marks on large measuring sticks that showed us how far and how high these agile cats can jump (up to 18 feet into a tree).
Another highlight for my young children was the Gordon Children’s Center. Specifically designed for preschool-age kids, this play space features a “Touch Tunnel,” where kids crawl behind closed doors and try to identify different objects by feel, such as a turtle shell, moose antler and dolphin skull.
Also at the Gordon Children’s Center, a wonderful indoor refuge during late-day thunderstorms, kids can “burrow” in tunnels like groundhogs, climb on a giant spider’s web made of sturdy rope, and place animals pictured on discs of wood in their appropriate classifications on a giant game board. (My son couldn’t get enough of this activity; he particularly liked the clatter that erupted from the falling wooden discs after he pulled a giant lever to release them from the vertical board.)
For families on an extended vacation in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, kids can attend week-long summer camps at the Science Center. There are also daily “Up Close to Animals” presentations and mountain hiking trails for intrepid older kids. Also popular are the scenic lake cruises, where trained boat drivers and naturalists share information about the history of the area, the natural forces that created the lake, and the animals—including the well-loved loons—who make their homes here.
Admission to the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in 2007 is $13 for adults, $9 for youth ages 3 to 15; kids under three are free. It’s open from May 1 to November 1; lake cruises run from the end of May to mid-October.
For more information, visit the Science Center’s website at www.nhnature.org.
Kara Williams is a freelance writer based in Colorado. She makes a trip “back East” to visit her home state of New Hampshire every summer. Learn more about her at www.karaswilliams.com.
For more information, visit the Science Center’s website at www.nhnature.org.
Learning Through Travel
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