Children Invited to Become “Junior Keepers” at The Children's Museum Wildlife Sanctuary

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 an owl, turtles and other wild creatures? These and many other exciting, hands-on opportunities exist for children aged 10 to 14 at The Children's Museum's UTC Wildlife Sanctuary in West Hartford.  This program for animal lovers and enthusiasts is called the Junior Keepers Club, and slots are filling now for the summer sessions.

“For kids who've always wanted to get 'up close and personal' with animals they aren't likely to interact with normally, this is a wonderful and popular opportunity,” explains Cindy King, director of the UTC Wildlife Sanctuary at The Children's Museum. “We demonstrate, instruct and have our Junior Keepers help with the feeding and general grooming in a carefully monitored setting that takes place weekly throughout the summer. It’s very hands-on, and participants also enjoy private animal demonstrations and have their pictures taken holding an animal at each session.”

The Junior Keepers Summer program includes four sessions. Session dates are July 6, 13, 20 and 27 and August 3, 10, 17 and 24, 2011, from 3:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.   The price for the four session program is $80 per person for members of The Children’s Museum and $100 for non-members.  Pre-registration is required, and the sessions are limited to six participants per four week program.

To register for the Junior Keepers Club, register online at www.thechildrensmuseumct.org, contact the Museum's Registration Department at  860.231.2830, x44, or send an email to Events@TheChildrensMuseumCT.org.