Shields students get a feel for winter animals

Looping a fox fur around her neck, Sara Williams made quite a fashion statement Feb. 23 at Shields Elementary School.

Then she tried out the opossum fur.

"They're both really soft," she said.

But she drew the line at the skunk.

"I know they're stinky," she said.

Kindergartners in Beth Smith's class heard a story and felt the pelts of various animals as part of a winter animals program.

"We've been doing this for several years now. The kids enjoy it," said Smith. "We read books about animals in the wintertime and talk about hibernation and migration."

Moving to four stations, students could feel deer, fox, skunk, squirrel, opossum, rabbit and raccoon fur.

No one had seen a fox up close, but they knew plenty about skunks and deer.

"One time we were driving, and a skunk was hit by a car. It smelled really bad," said McKenna Landis, 6, celebrating her birthday that day. "If I saw one I'd run away."

Leah Gaito, 6, recalled seeing deer.

"I've seen a deer before with her babies," she said.

Kate Marvel of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control read a story to the children about winter animals. She showed the students how a fox curls up to stay warm in the winter. Holding up two pelts – one with a thick, winter coat, the other with sleek, summer fur – she asked the class which one they thought would keep the fox warmer.

"That one!" rang out as they all emphatically pointed to the heavier fur.

Marvel said most of the pelts came from animals killed along roadways.

That didn't seem to faze the students, however.

"This is where its eyes and mouth were," said Yasmine Leon pointing to the fox fur. "He was probably really cute when he was alive."