Wildling Museum invites community to free Winter Family Day on Sunday, February 12th, now a twice-yearly event
Event: Winter Family Day at the Wildling Museum
Date: Sunday, February 12th, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Admission: Free
Website: www.wildlingmuseum.org/news/2023-winter-family-day
The public is invited to attend the Wildling Museum’s free Winter Family Day on Sunday, February 12th, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Photos by Bob Canepa from the Wildling’s Summer Family Day, August 2022.
SOLVANG — The Wildling Museum is pleased to announce the winter edition of its popular free Family Day event, which returns on Sunday, February 12, 2023, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. The now twice-yearly event invites visitors to bring the whole family and enjoy free museum admission during event hours, along with a day of art and nature-inspired activities.
The winter lineup of events will include a live owl meet-and-greet by Santa Barbara Audubon Society’s Eyes in the Sky, a wildlife education program featuring rescued birds of prey. For their 11 a.m. presentation at the Wildling’s Free Family Day, visitors will have the chance to meet Puku the Western Screech-owl and Athena the Barn Owl and learn more about the native raptors in our region.
Later in the afternoon, attendees can look forward to an opossum presentation at 1:30 p.m. by Santa Ynez Valley opossum rehabilitator Dawn Summerlin, who will be bringing along a rescued opossum and teaching visitors about these environmentally beneficial marsupials.
Also available will be art activities inspired by Artist-in-Residence Kerrie Smith’s Portals & Pathways installation, and hands-on activities for all ages.
Winter Family Day Event Schedule – Doors Open at 11 a.m.
- 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Live Owl Meet-and-Greet with Eyes in the Sky.
- 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Art Activities inspired by Artist-in-Residence Kerrie Smith’s Portals & Pathways installation.
- 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. – Opossum Presentation and Meet-and-Greet by Dawn Summerlin, Opossum Rescuer.
Guests will also have the chance to explore museum exhibitions Wildlife on the Edge: Hilary Baker and Dunes: Visions of Sand, Light & Shadow.
“We are so delighted to offer our first winter Family Day. Thanks to support from the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, this is an entirely free day for all,” says Stacey Otte-Demangate, Wildling Museum Executive Director. “We hope local families take this opportunity to explore our exhibitions and enjoy learning about some of our local wildlife.”
For more information, visit: www.wildlingmuseum.org/news/2023-winter-family-day. Questions? Email info@wildlingmuseum.org or call (805) 688-1082.
Grateful thanks to event sponsors, the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation.
About Eyes in the Sky
Eyes in the Sky (EITS) program has been Santa Barbara Audubon’s key wildlife education program since 2000. It features five birds of prey that serve as education ambassadors: three owls and two falcons.
These birds are in the care of Eyes in the Sky because they cannot survive in the wild. From blindness to broken wings, each bird had to be rescued because of a permanent disability. The birds’ unique stories of survival share a message
about the impact that we as humans have on the lives of our “wild neighbors.” Eyes in the Sky’s goal is to foster respect and understanding for these wild species and their habitats. Learn more at: www.santabarbaraaudubon.org/eyes-in-the-sky/.
About Dawn Summerlin – Opossum Rescuer
Dawn Summerlin was born and raised in upstate New York with a love of animals instilled in her by her parents. As a child, they never knew what she would bring home next. While growing up, she always wanted to be a vet but in “her day” that wasn’t an option. Therefore, she became a nurse, graduating from Albany Medical Center School of Nursing. She continued nursing when she moved to California in the early 1970s.
For the last 22 years, Summerlin has specialized in rescuing and rehabilitating opossums. She has found that opossums are generally misunderstood by the average person, thinking they are rabid and fierce. Inspired to support all underdogs, she has focused on these quiet, beneficial marsupials. Today she is a satellite in the Santa Ynez Valley for the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network. Besides nurturing and nursing opossums to the point of being released, she also does presentations at schools, museums, retirement communities, and anyone else that will listen! She also advises other rehabilitators about opossum care.
About the Wildling Museum
The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, where art and nature meet, offers visitors a unique perspective on the importance of preserving our natural heritage. Through the eyes of artists, and education and field experiences, guests can renew their relationship with the wilderness and understand its fragile nature – hopefully leaving more committed toward ensuring those spaces remain for future generations. Current visiting hours are weekdays 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. For more information, and to volunteer or join as a member to support this important local arts and nature institution, please visit www.wildlingmuseum.org.