ELKHART – Students at an Elkhart elementary school got to see a not-so-typical show-and-tell on Tuesday.
The students at Woodland School had an up-close and personal introduction to a number of animals that live in tropical rain forests.
It was part of a presentation put on by Understanding Wildlife's "Live On Stage, The Rainforest Show.”
Youngsters learned about conservation and efforts aimed at saving the rain forest, so these animals don’t become extinct.
“The kids of today are going to be the leaders of tomorrow if they get connected to nature, to wildlife, to see that these guys really do need our help,” said Mike Kohlrieser of Understanding Wildlife, Inc. “They are going to be the ones taking care of this Earth in a few years.”
Many of the Woodland students got a look at exotic animals for the first time, even one animal who put on an aerial display in the gym.
“When (students) realize these animals have really amazing personalities, they seem to get an emotional connection to these animals,” said Kohlrieser.
In any type of educational endeavor, Kohlrieser says it’s good to have a prop, example or time to use and have on display to get your point across. A live one, he says, is all the better.
“I always say nobody likes to be lectured to, so it’s got to be fun; it’s got to be exciting,” added Kohlrieser.
The message comes across.
“We need everybody’s help to get the message out that there are endangered species,” said 6th grader Haley Harmon.
Fellow 6th grader Savannah Minnick adds, “When you recycle, it’s a good thing, because you are helping the environment.”
