Bio-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Novamber 27, 1993
Where Wild Things Are
JOYCE BUPP
York Co. Correspondent
JACOBUS (York Co.) Have
you ever wanted to go “where the
wild things are”?
In York County, there are lots
of wild things at the Richard M.
Nixon Environmental Education
Center. And since the Center has
built a large addition to its nature
museum to display a collection of
mounted animals from around the
world, the wild things have gotten
.... well, even wilder.
There’s a fierce-looking tiger
from India on the prowl. A walrus,
sporting a pair of long, white ivory
tusks and a shaggy musk ox can be
spotted in different comers. A
whole herd of exotic wild animals
of the deer and sheep families is
clustered in one section. And
keeping watch over this huge col
lection of animal specimens are
giant Kodiak and polar bears, rear
ing up on their hind legs to stand
more than nine-feet tall.
This Treasury of Wildlife col
lection, with more than 70 full
size animal mounts, was donated
to the Nixon Park by local resident
William G. Koller. Many of these
Elementary school students visiting the Nixon Park’s Treasury of Wildlife collec
tion admire the giant Kodiak bear.
Kid-Style Fun On
INTERCOURSE (Lancaster
Co.) Parents looking for a fun
filled, old-fashioned holiday
celebration for their children will
find the perfect event at Kitchen
Kettle Village during Kid’s Holly
Day, Saturday, December 4, from
9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
With an array of kid style fun,
Kid’s Holly Day will offer child
ren an opportunity to taste the
spirit of the season with special
meals, holiday treats, decorating
projects, stories, wagon rides and
other activities geared especially
for kids 12 and under.
The day will open with a
delightful Breakfast with Yum
mie, the cheerful gingerbread
“person” costumed character of
Kitchen Kettle Village. Breakfast
with Yummie begins at 8 a.m. at
the King House Restaurant. For
S3.SO each child gets a special
package that includes a decorating
animals are now protected from
hunting or capture because they
are threatened by extinction. The
chance to actually see some of
these species “in the wild” in their
native habitats is rare.
Nixon Park also.has a large dis
play of specimens of wild animals
and birds that might be found in
York County, including a bobcat,
a giant snapping turtle, many birds
of the area, insects and
butterflies...
Many visitors to the Center are
especially fascinated with a live
animal named Racer. Racer is a
black rat snake, nine years old and
six feet long. It lives in a large
glass enclosure wijji sheltered
areas in which it can hide and a
.tree limb for snaking around on.
Some of the displays at the Nix
on Park nature center are the
“hands on" kind, where kids can
pick up and examine wildlife
items like rocks, feathers, leaves,
hides and shells or match plant
smells to the proper tree or flower.
One part of the center is for bird
watching, with benches, bird iden
tification books and a glassed wall
overlooking several outside
tour and a menu that includes deli
cious buried treasured muffins
filled with jam, cinnamon toast
squares, ooey gooey peanut butter
French toast, razzle-dazzle pan
cakes and hot chocolate. Reserva
tions can be made by* calling (717)
768-8261.
In addition, a special children’s
lunch menu at the Kling House
Restaurant will feature alphabet
soup, “bugs on a log” appetizers,
sandwich boats and hot diggity
dogs.
One of the highlights of the day
will be a unique holiday kid's tea
party at the Kettle House, com
plete with delicious foods and
refreshments, as well as fascinat
ing storytelling by Lancaster's
well-known storyteller, Carol
Lynn Bauer. Bauer will share
amusing and inspiring stores with
the youngsters, encouraging them
to share in the imaginative fun of
birdfeeders.
The park has no picnic or recre
ational facilities and is designed to
be a quiet place for nature
observation. Its 143-acre are ill
woodlands, wetlands and natural,
open field areas where white
tailed deer and numerous birds
can often be seen. A stream run
ning through the park and a small
pond provide places to see frogs,
tadpoles and water-loving insects
and plants. There are six miles of
trails through the park, from short,
easy walks to longer hikes through
hillside woodlands and natural
growth fields.
Nixon Park is open six days
each week, Tuesday through
Saturday from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m.
and Sundays from 12:00 to 6:00
p.m. The Center is closed on Mon
days and holidays. There is no
admission charge. Horses, dogs,
bicycles, skateboards, hunting,
fishing and fires are not permitted
in the park. The Park is located
west of Jacobus and is accessible
from the Old Susquehanna Trail
and Valley Road. For more infor
mation, call the park at (717)
428-1961.
Dec. 4
storytelling.
Children will have the oppor
tunity to decorate gingerbread
cookies at the Kitchen Kettle Vil
lage Bake Shop, enjoy cheese
balls at the Smokehouse Shop,
sample a taste of cherry vanilla,
mint chocolate and other holiday
fudge flavors at the Fudge Kitchen
and much more.
At the Deerskin Leather Shop,
youngsters can paint leather
Christmas ornaments. At the
Grande'Place Christmas Comer,
they can buy Christmas ornaments
and have their holiday gifts
wrapped. Special kid-priced holi
day gift tables will be set up near
the Jam and Relish Kitchen with a
variety of selections. Kids can also
make their own ornaments with
proceeds benefiting the American
Cancer Society.
Throughout the day, the J 'Livcry
Stable will provide free wagon
This flsrco-looklng tlgsr cams from the country of India.
While visiting Nixon Park on an elementary school field
trip, this visitor to Nixon Park worked on a quiz about the
nature displays.
— ? ~
Allyson and Scott Ladlay decorate cookies at Kitchen
Kettle Village.
rides to kids 12 and under, when
accompanied by an adult, there
will also be free samples of hot
spiced apple cider, free balloons,
visits with Yummie and Frosty the
Snowman, along with a topiary
bear display, a life-size ginger
bread house for picture-taking
fun, Victorian Christmas Carolers
from the Lancaster Opera Com
pany and lively traditional music
by the Schlossmen German Band.
Kitchen Kettle Village is
located 10 miles east of Lancaster
and 30 miles west of Exton on
Route 340.