Animal Science

The opportunities for viewing wildlife and nature in the 6 million-acre Adirondack Park of upstate N.Y. are just about unlimited. If an up close and personal (and indoor) option is more your style, consider The W!LD Center in Tupper Lake. The center has all types of indoor exhibits including river otters, as well as a 3- acre outdoor facility with walking trails. I visited The W!LD Center on a rainy day in July and had a great time!

Animal Antics

The center features a number of live and stuffed animal exhibits. My favorites were the river otters who were happily swimming and playing for all who watched. These members of the weasel family also enjoy scampering around on their land-based toys. Since river otters are generally nocturnal, their exhibit is fairly dark, making photography difficult.

Along the walk through the center, quite a few tanks of lake fish are visible. Some of the tanks are built low to the ground to facilitate viewing from above, while others are floor-to-ceiling. These fish aren't minnows, either – some are over a foot long!

The center is also a home to quite a few live birds, frogs, and snakes. You never quite know what you'll see when you turn the next corner. Some animals, like ducks, turtles, and fish appear in mixed-species exhibits. There's also a room with stuffed animals (some were once alive; others are the plush variety) and skeletons. You can even see what your favorite animal's poop looks like!

Outdoor Tour

The W!LD Center is family-friendly inside and out. Once you've gotten your fill of the animals, glacial ice wall (it's made of real ice, moves, and spouts a stream of water to simulate the end of the ice age!), and documentaries, you can head outside for the nature trails. These trails are well-maintained and have lots of information about what you're looking at.

An Adirondack-style wooden bridge crosses a former gravel pit that's been filled with water to form a pond inhabited by fish, frogs, and turtles that sun on logs. It was fun standing on the bridge trying to spot the different animals and the turtles were willing to stay still for a picture. Flowers are everywhere and an osprey's nest is atop a tall pole, although we didn't see any birds outdoors. Yet another path leads to an oxbow on the Raquette River.

Green Machine

The W!LD Center prides itself in being a green facility. From recycling containers to composting toilets and natural lighting in the great hall, steps are being taken to help the environment. One of the most unique items is found outside on the BioBuilding.

The BioBuilding has a living roof covered with mosses and other materials. It's one of the first things a visitor sees when driving into The W!LD Center and it makes quite an impression! Solar technology is also used, in addition to other sustainable inventions.

The W!LD Center is open year-round and has lots to do for people of all ages. We spent three hours visiting the center and still didn't do everything.

Test your skills: is this a real bird or a decoy?

Resources:

http://www.wildcenter.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_River_Otter

http://wildcenter.org/index.php?sub=48

http://wildcenter.org/index.php?sub=45