Oglebay to host programs on spiders
One of the resident tarantulas at the Good Zoo at Oglebay
Dr. Richard Bradley, author of the new book, “Common Spiders of North America,” will present two programs Saturday at the Good Zoo and Schrader Environmental Education Center at Oglebay.
Dr. Richard Bradley, author of the new book, “Common Spiders of North America,” will present two programs at Oglebay in West Virginia.
They include:
• Master Naturalist program, 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Good Zoo at Oglebay. The common spiders class will count as three elective hours in the Master Naturalist program. The class also is open to anyone interested in learning about spiders. Cost is $24.
• Spider hunt, 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Schrader Environmental Education Center at Oglebay. The program is geared toward families with children 10 and older. Cost is $6 per person, or $5 for Oglebay Institute members.
“Spiders are a very diverse group of invertebrates, yet poorly studied and very misunderstood,” said Penny Miller, zoo director. “Part of our Master Naturalist program is teaching people about all components of a healthy ecosystem, not just the popular ones like birds and butterflies.”
Bradley will discuss how to identify key spider groups by web design and other tips. Spider biology, anatomy and behavior also will be addressed, and students will try to identify spiders on the zoo grounds.
“We have over 100 species in our area, but North America has over 4,700 species,” Miller said. Students also will visit the zoo’s resident tarantulas.
The Master Naturalist program is open to nature lovers 16 and older. The program was developed by the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, and the Good Zoo at Oglebay is a training site. Classes are held Saturdays and Sundays and often involve walks in the woods and occasional field trips to a farm pasture, wetlands or streams.
For more information on the Master Naturalist program, call Miller at 304-243-4027. The schedule for all upcoming classes can be found at www.oglebay-resort.com/goodzoo.
For more information about the spider hunt, call the Schrader Center at 304-243-4214.