Kids get a glimpse of nature at Lake Thunderbird
Education: At Lake Thunderbird, ‘show and tell’ thrives

JANE GLENN CANNON Comments 2
Published: August 24, 2009

NORMAN — Naturalist Kathy Furneaux never tires of "show and tell” time at Lake Thunderbird’s Discovery Cove Nature Center.

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Whether it’s one visitor or 20, she’s happy to talk about the area’s native birds, plants and wildlife and show off the center’s living collection that includes turtles, snakes, salamanders, tadpoles and spiders, among other creatures.

"It’s a way to get children and adults interested in nature,” Furneaux said.

The center offers about 40 types of programs — some seasonal, while others are available year-round — that range from eagle watching to making plaster casts of animal footprints to seining for small fish and amphibians.

Most days, drop-in visitors can watch and sometimes help Furneaux and her assistant, Ashley Pierce, feed the seven kinds of turtles that live at the center on Clear Bay Drive, just off State Highway 9.

"Do turtles blink?” Ethan Moulton, 9, wanted to know on a recent visit. His brother Evan, 7, wondered if they’d bite.

"Yes, they blink, and yes, like most animals, they bite when they feel threatened,” Furneaux said.

The boys and friend Tyson Cooper, 9, visited the center recently with grandparents Perry and Selma Wilson of Norman.

Furneaux dangled a snapping turtle for the boys to see but warned, "Don’t touch. This one could take your finger off.”

With some kids, she said, "you have to be careful what you tell them not to do. As soon as I say don’t touch, they’re sticking their arm out to touch.”

The boys listened attentively to Furneaux’s talk about turtles, with Evan declaring the experience "awesome” before he left.

The most frustrating part of the job is when no one listens, Furneaux admits.

"But one of the best things about the job is the variety. Every day is different. I never know what to expect,” she said.

Since May 1, Furneaux estimates about 2,000 people have visited the nature center either as drop-ins or for programs.

"It’s erratic. Some days hardly anyone comes in, then the next day 40 or 50 will visit,” she said.