Even in the hustle and bustle of the city, many wild animals share our home. Some of these beasts made an appearance on Saturday, June 14th at the Placer Nature Center in Auburn.

Wild Things, Inc., a nonprofit located in Weimar, shared the stories of these animals and how they adapt to life among us. Since 1987, Wild Things has provided a home for injured or displaced wildlife, and has shared these animals as wildlife ambassadors to instill in children a desire to conserve the earth's natural wonders.

Some of the amazing animals rescued by Wild Things included Waldo the Beaver, who was found when he was just a baby washed onto the shore of Dry Creek in downtown Lincoln. Precious the Snake slithered her way into many of the participants. Also, 4-month old, bear cub named Kome Pano strutted her stuff. She was given her name by the Native American School in Auburn, it means Moon Bear.

Beasts in the Backyard was a free event, sponsored by Hewlett Packard. Docent led family nature walks will take place at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Also open for exploration was the Nature Center’s Main Exhibit Hall and WaterShed Learning Center, Discovery Lab, Maidu Village, Demonstration Garden and The Nature Shop.

The Placer Nature Center will be hosting another Family Day on July 12th focused on gardening. Local Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer even your toughest gardening questions. There will also be a composting demonstration and every child will get to plant a radish seed to take home and watch grow!

The Center is also hosting its Summer Day Camps through July. Upcoming camps are Geology Rocks and Wings. Download an information and registration form at

http://www.placernaturecenter.org/pdf/PNC-OLSummerBrochure2008.pdf

The Placer Nature Center is a private 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization open to the public. It maintains miles of trails at their Christian Valley site and offers programs for preschoolers through elementary and scouts, astronomy classes, environmental lectures and seasonal workshops. For information please visit www.placernaturecenter.org or call 530-878-6053. To date Placer Nature Center has worked with nearly 180,000 students and 200 teachers.