Clearwater Marine Aquarium goes wild for biodiversity education event
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Visitors at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium can expect to see some new faces during the aquarium’s Go Wild! event, teaching the public about the importance of biodiversity.
Rescued birds, like hawks and owls, reptiles and even an alligator have taken up temporary residence on the aquarium’s second floor to educate visitors about animals they might see in their own backyard.
The animals all come from organizations across the Bay Area that work with CMA to rescue and rehabilitate animals that need help. The weekend’s event serves as more than just a fun photo op, but a way for the public to get an inside look at the rescue organizations that work hard to keep these animals safe.
"A lot of them are rescue organizations that we do partner with. So if we’re out on a boat and we see an animal that is in trouble that we don’t normally rescue, or if someone brings an animal to the aquarium that we don’t normally rescue, we can reach out to them to rehabilitate and hopefully get that animal back out into the wild," said Kalie Laughlin, the supervisor of education programs at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
The fun will continue through the holiday weekend until 5:30 p.m. on Monday. Go Wild! is included with aquarium admission and is located on the second floor in the education area.
For more information, visit https://www.cmaquarium.org/event/go-wild-weekend-jan-2022/.