Nocturnal Creatures Roam CdM Garden

Nocturnal animals roamed a local garden last weekend, as residents of all ages learned about the inhabits that come alive after dark.

Guests got up close and personal with live wolves, coyotes, birds of prey, scorpions, tarantulas, lizards, snakes, a hedgehog, even an armadillo, and more, at Sherman Library & Gardens’ “Creatures of the Night” event held Oct. 19 in Corona del Mar. The event sold out quickly this year.

“The tropical conservatory was transformed into a forbidden jungle with animal noises filling the air,” officials wrote in an email last week.

The family friendly evening of education and entertainment featured a wide variety of nocturnal creatures from the Santa Ana Zoo, Adventures in Living Science, Project Wildsong and OC Birds of Prey.

“This event is fun and educational, and as a parent, it doesn’t get better than that,” Gardens Director Scott LaFleur said in the prepared statement.

Kids in attendance learned about insect pinning, night blooming and carnivorous plants, and a few stuck their hand in a worm pit and learned about composting, officials said in an email. A “regurgitation station,” (an owl pellet dissection table) was right next to OC Birds of Prey handlers, who brought a red tail hawk and assorted owls, the message explained.

Kids in attendance also each received a “passport” to explore Sherman Gardens after dark, which they got stamped at the various stations.

Creatures of the Night will return on Oct. 17, 2020, along with all of the participating organizations, LaFleur noted.

For more information, visit slgardens.org.