What?  You thought that we city folks weren’t in touch with nature?

Each week, in a class that my friend Sonia cleverly named “Where the Wild Things Are”, we have teacher and wild animal center owner Travis come to Tribeca with his many boxes and crates of creatures.  During class Travis brings out his animals and teaches the kids and the Big People all about each animal.  Some, we get to pet (chincilla, chocolate chip starfish, albino python), and some we just observe (porcupine, tarantula, Mama wallaby).

All during the week before class, Liev asks, “Is today Animal Class?”.  He tells and retells the stories that Travis has told during class, with Travis’s exact inflection.  He will gather boxes and baskets, stuff in his stuffed animal creatures, and call class to order, teaching his sister, his mama, and his dad all about his stuffed pigeon or alligator.  At times he repeats back what was said in class that week, verbatim.

The other kids are doing it, too.  One of our two-year-old friends loudly announces, “I am Travis!” and even showed up to class last week with a stack of shoe boxes covered with various cloths, his own animal collection, that he toted from here to there and all over, toddling all the way with a special swagger and pride.

Even Mira, who is a city kid through and through, has had to admit just how incredible this class is.  She started out not wanting to go, complaining that it would be boring, something just for little brothers.  Quietly, she has come around.  I heard her this week, with a tiny edge of squeal in her voice, telling her Daddy about how the mama and baby Wallaby came back to class and now the baby stuck its head out of the pouch.

“It was soooooooooooooo cute!”

Hey, I don’t blame these kids.  Looking around the room while Travis is showing and telling about these creatures, you will see that it is not only the children who have looks of wonder in their eyes.

I sometimes find myself consulting my calendar and asking myself, “Is today Animal Class?”

Curious about Four-legged experiences around the world?  Check out these other Corner Views:

jane – ian – joyce – francesca – state of bliss – isabelle – janis – kari – jgy – lise– cate – otli – dorte – sophie –mcgillicutty – sunnymama – daan – ibb– kelleyn – ninja – sammi – theresa –cherry b – cole – lucylaine – skywriting– anna – conny – rosamaría – tikjewit –juniper – annabel – valerie – mlle paradis – wander chow – don –flowtops – susanna – tania – dana –tzivia – mezza – ocean girl – kristin