Snow day: Children learn about animals in winter at library

Published 12:10 am Friday, February 2, 2024

CHINA GROVE — It snowed in the Rowan Public Library South Branch on Wednesday.

However, it wasn’t real, and no snowman could be built, but it was fun for the children nonetheless.

Kelli Isenhour, education coordinator with the Rowan County Soil and Water Conservation District, presented a seasonal program entitled Snow Paws: Animals in Winter at the Rowan Public Library South on Jan. 31.

Once the children and their families arrived and took their seats, Melissa Gephart, the children’s librarian at the Kimball Road location, welcomed them and the guest speaker.

Isenhour told the group she would be sharing information about ways animals survive during the winter. She covered topics including hibernation, migration and insulation asking the children if they knew which animals practiced which survival strategy.

During her program, she also showed several books the children might enjoy reading to help them learn more about animals as well as showing various pelts of animals telling how their fur helps these particular ones stay warm and dry. She likewise walked around the room showing the children a photo of a bird and how it was puffed up, explaining how the trapped air helps birds stay warm.

Following the presentation, she asked for volunteers and was quickly greeted with several wanting to help demonstrate how blubber works to keep animals warm. Isenhour had a blubber glove, aka shortening in a bag, that the children could put their hand in and then place it in warm or cold water. The glove helped to keep their hands protected from the differing temperatures.

After everyone that wanted to participate had a chance, it was time to make some snow, which as Isenhour noted was “instant and fake,” and while one group played in the snow or made animal tracks in it with the various animal track replicas Isenhour had on hand, the other half took one of the replicas, making imprints in some homemade playdough to take home with them.

Even when the program came to a close, the children continued to enjoy the snow and said they had fun at the event.

Isenhour said she loved to talk about animals and has shared this program previously. And when she does present the program, Isenhour noted that what she hopes they learn from it is about conservation and natural resources and how all of this works together.

If nothing else, she said that she hopes they gain “an appreciation for our natural resources. They may not find soil interesting but maybe they really like animals,” Isenhour shared. “The more they learn about animals, the more they will learn how everything works together and how we need to help protect and conserve things.”