Weeks Bay Nature Preserve staff member holds one of the cornsnakes from the rehabilitation center, Marge. The Gulf Coast Nature Expo took place Oct. 4, at Weeks Bay Plantation to show the public different animals from the wild. (Natalia Noel)
Silent fliers… The worker presents the Bard owl. The Bard owl flies silently and can turn its head about 270 degrees since they cannot move their eyes. (Natalia Noel) Strong bite… The staff member holds the Great Horned owl at the great raptors show. The Great Horned owl is one of the biggest owls in Alabama, and is known to have a bite as strong as a German Shepherd and talons over an inch long. (Natalia Noel) All natural… Frank and Lori Darsey stand in front of their table showcasing their wide selection of all-natural items. The Darseys have been making natural care products for 11 years, starting from the Foley farmers market. “My favorite thing to make is the teas, but we have 55 different items with all natural ingredients,” Darsey said. (Natalia Noel) Critical life… The event grounds display a model of critical nesting areas for different types of birds and their eggs. Many bird eggs hatching grounds get destroyed due to human interference, so this model was displayed to show the importance of leaving them alone. (Natalia Noel) Sea savers… The Alabama Marine Resources table uses marine life figurines to express the dangers that marine animals get saved from everyday. The Alabama Marine Resources division, which is a part of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has been saving marine life since 1915. (Natalia Noel) Native serpents… Alabama State Park staff member holds a Silver Rat snake. Silver Rat snakes, common for being found in forests, swamps and even suburban areas, are native to most of the eastern and southeastern U.S, including Alabama. (Natalia Noel) Taking flight… Nature preserve employee displays the Kite bird. A part of many childhoods, the toy kite was named after this bird because of the similar shapes and flight patterns. (Natalia Noel) Buzztastic creatures… A colony of Honeybees shows the formations of honeycombs and how fresh honey is made. The queen bee facilitates all of the other workers bees in the process of making honey. (Natalia Noel) Taking flight… In this wildlife demo, the Barn Owl spreads its wings . The Barn Owl can have up to 8 babies at once and eat up to 400 mice a month. Barn Owls are found on every continent except for Antarctica because mice do not live there. After a large crowd attended the first Expo event, it should be expected for them to host another. (Natalia Noel)
