Hurley library hosts natures superheroes

HURLEY — Kids learned about animals at the Hurley Public Library Wednesday.

As part of its Nature’s Superheroes series, traveling naturalist Licia Johnson from the North Lakeland Discovery Center in Manitowish Waters, brought with her many critters.

Before she showed the audience her friends, Johnson asked the children what their favorite superheroes were.

Batman, Wolverine and Spiderman, were among the responses.

Johnson pointed out each of the superheroes’ names came from nature.

Children drew cards that displayed animals. As each was chosen, Johnson told them facts about each.

First chosen was a dung beetle. While displaying the beetle, Johnson asked the audience how the beetle got its name and what superpower it had.

“They collect poop and gather it into a ball,” she said. “Then it rolls it. (It) has super strength and can push 1,141 times its body weight.”

After the super strong beetle was put away, a second child drew a frog card. To show the frog up close, Johnson took the frog out of the cage while feeding the audience facts about it.

“This is a tree frog,” she said. “(It) can change color. Don’t touch it with dryer skin, because it can burn their skin.”

Then, a youngster picked a dragon fly card from the bag as Johnson brought out a container with one in it.

“Dragonflies have super speed,” she said. “They can fly 36 mph.”

After that, a child drew a monarch butterfly card. To teach the audience about them, she handed out cards indicating the phases of life it experiences. With cards in hand, Johnson arranged the children in the order of their life cycle.

“Monarch butterflies have the superpower to change shape,” she said. “It is an egg, it’s a caterpillar, it’s a chrysalis, then, it’s a butterfly.”

Lastly, a kid in the audience picked a bat from the bag. While showing them a bat, Johnson asked children what super power it has.

“Echolocation” a child said.

He was correct. To explain further, Johnson said bats have a sonar like power.

“That’s right, bats put out a high-pitched sound then listen for sound waves echoing back to find food,” she said.

After Johnson showed the audience her animals, the children played a game.

Gabby Osterman, 4, said she liked the tree frog the best.

“I like the frog because it can hop and change color,” she said.

Johnson said it’s important for them to learn about what’s in their backyard.

“Kids in this area that we live in grow up with these animals,” she said. “I think it’s fun if they know something more about them, other than ‘That’s a frog, that’s a butterfly.’ It’s all about the connection to the natural world.”