Environmental Science Animal Presentation

On Thursday, February 22, Mrs. Hennelly hosted animal presenter Russ from Party Pets of New York. This special visit was for her Environmental Science class and had an additional session as a Science Society event. In this annual biodiversity workshop, students were treated to a hands-on visit of over 10 different animals from around the world. Participants marveled as each unmarked box was opened to reveal everything from typical animals, such as ferrets and rabbits, to the truly spectacular, such as a tegu and even an armadillo! Russ and his assistant did a wonderful job keeping everyone engaged and sharing important facts about each creature while walking them around the room, allowing for touching, petting and even holding. 

As Mrs. Hennelly moved around her classroom with a Columbian Red-tailed Boa named Cupcake around her neck, students exclaimed that the animals were everything from “amazing” to “terrifying”.  One student called the presentation “one of the most exciting things I have ever done at school before” while another shared, “some new fears were unlocked, but now I can tell everyone that I have successfully touched the endangered Indonesian Box Turtle”. As for Mrs. Hennelly, this yearly event to supplement the Biodiversity topic in her Environmental Science curriculum never gets old. She shared, “The day is filled with live interactions with a variety of animals that are invasive, endangered or simply add to our diverse habitats across the globe. Some examples this year were a 10-foot Columbian Red Tail Boa Constrictor, a three-banded armadillo from South America, an Argentine Black and White Tegu and a highly endangered Indonesian Box Turtle. The students truly enjoy this day as it brings to life many of the topics we discuss in the classroom.”

Want to be a part of the fun next year? Make sure to sign up for Mrs. Hennelly’s Environmental Science class or to join North Shore’s incredible Science Society.