What: 22nd annual Niagara Wildlife Festival
When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: Niagara Power Vista and nearby grounds, 5777 Lewiston Road, Lewiston
Cost: Free
More Info: Call 286-6661 or visit www.nypa.gov for a complete schedule
The elements that have made the Niagara Wildlife Festival a popular family event for the region can also seem like the ingredients for a classic art school film.
Take this year, for instance. Boy Scout Troop 855 will be serving up its chicken chowder; a rare binturong, or “Asian bearcat,” will be on display, and a local weatherman is trying out a “Baby Bigfoot” puppet for the first time.
It’s an eclectic mix, but such multi-stage events have been helping to draw children’s attention toward the creatures that live in their backyards and beyond for 22 years.
“We want to get kids away from the televisions, the cell phones and Game Boys for just one afternoon, and help them learn about conservation with no distractions,” said Lori Presti, organizer of the annual Niagara Wildlife Festival. “We hope that it has lasting education and value for kids and adults.”
One of the biggest annual attractions at the festival is Jeff Musial, who brings along a small herd of creatures from his Cheektowaga-based Nickel City Reptiles and Exotics to demonstrate and discuss.
“We do things a little bit differently, as we don’t give them a lecture about animals,” Musial said. “The kids are having fun, seeing a lot of different animals ... if they see something, touch it, know what it goes through in the wild, they’ll build a respect for it.”
Parents often come away with as much insight into the wild kingdom as their children, Musial said.
“I have asked crowds of kids and parents, ‘How many people kill snakes?’, and you see too many hands go up,” he said. “Then I ask who has problems with mice, rats, moles, and some of the same hands go up.”
“Learning that snakes exist in large part to feed on the rodent population ... and then you see the snake itself, it’s a good lesson.”
Mike Reed, WKBW Channel 7’s chief meteorologist and a veteran ventriloquism and magic performer, will be trying out a new act he’s been developing — a young sasquatch that doesn’t like to think of itself as a “Bigfoot.”
It’s one of a number of animals that Reed hopes provides an entertaining performance while simultaneously stimulating a desire to read and learn more.
“Animal puppets, I’ve found, don’t creep out kids like the traditional dummies, with the drop-down jaw,” Reed said. “It’s also a great venue for performing and entertaining kids and families.”
And, he might add, no less odd than some of his earlier gigs — including a stint as the Marvelous Magic Burger King in his early 20s.
“Back then, kids were so enthralled with the character, they would go to these local shows and think it was the same guy they saw on TV,” he said. “I think these days, they’ve given up on that kid audience ... he looks a lot, well, different.”
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Contact reporter Kevin Purdy at 693-1000, ext. 107.
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