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Archived Outdoors

Wild places, wild things featured at Mountain Wildlife Days

out skinnereagleThe ninth-annual Mountain Wildlife Days will be held Friday, July 20, and Saturday, July 21, at Sapphire Valley Resort near Cashiers, featuring a smorgasbord of wildlife-related events and programs.

Mountain Wildlife Days are filled with guided hikes, live animals and a variety of experienced presenters discussing wildlife in all its myriad forms.

• 8 a.m. Friday, July 20: Guided bird walk in Cashiers with the local chapter of the Audubon Society. Meet at the Cashiers Post Office at 8 a.m. for a walk through the Village Green area to learning bird identification and bird songs.

• 10 a.m. Friday, July 20: Guided hikes in Panthertown Valley led by volunteers with the Friends of Panthertown and a slightly more difficult hike up Whiteside Mountain led by Lamar Marshall of WildSouth. Meet at the Sapphire Valley Community Center at 10 a.m. for either hike.

• 2 p.m. Friday, July 20: Wildlife warrior Steve O’Neil will offer an up-close encounter with live reptiles, amphibians and other “critters,” some of our most misunderstood animals.

• 7 p.m. Friday, July 20: the musical “God of Wonders” will be held at the Sapphire Valley Community Center. The program, based on the theme of caring for God’s creations features the Judy Felts/Lee Porter group from the Nashville area, the local Creation Singers, Pastors Steve Kerhoulas and Randy Harry along with world-class photographer Bill Lea. Tickets are $8.

• 10 a.m. Saturday, July 21: Live raptor program, including at American Eagle with Michael Skinner of the Balsam Mountain Trust.

• 11 a.m. Saturday, July 21: World-class videographer Kate Marshall will share her video and commentary titled “Smoky Mountain Bears, White Tails and Wildflowers.”

• 11 a.m. Saturday, July 21: Black bear storytime with Wendy Henkel dedicated to helping children better understand bears and their role in nature.

• 1 p.m. Saturday, July 21: “Wild America” featuring animals from the North Georgia Zoo. Get up close and learn more about animals seen here in the mountains. Some of the “live” animals in this program will include a lynx, beaver, skunk, fox, timber wolf and others.

• 2 p.m. Saturday, July 21: “Animals From Around the World” from the North Georgia Zoo. Program will showcase a red kangaroo, kinkajou, lemur, an African Several Cat, a whitefaced capuchin monkey and a surprise or two.

828.743.7663.