See Wildlife at Rock City

Jul 15

We are proud to be partnering with Rock City this summer season and roam with the gnomes during their Mountaintop Summers events. Our wildlife team and animal ambassadors are making a show-stopping appearance as they share the importance of native animals with the public in an all-new educational show. Each animal in our ecosystem provides a crucial service, from seed dispersion to nutrient cycling. From May 24th through September 2nd, 2024, join us as we learn all about local fauna through interactive presentations. During the summer season, Rock City reaches its peak with colorful blooms, native animal education, gnome shenanigans, exciting food options, and more. You can’t miss it!

Every Monday through Wednesday, Tish Gailmard, Learning and Engagement Specialist, and Danielle Pope-White, Lead Wildlife Technician, lead interactive presentations with their posse of animal ambassadors. Each session includes a variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Visitors may meet our mighty red-tailed hawk or smallest green tree frog. Each day brings something new, as we advocate for each animal’s voluntary participation. This means that animals in our program rotation are not forced to teach, so only those comfortable with performing on any given day will come to Rock City. Although we can’t predict which animal you will meet, we know that it’s going to be great!

“All we have to do is provide food, shelter, and water for them. We’ve got to take care of the earth to be able to provide those things so these animals can do their job and in turn, leave us with a healthy environment.” —Tish Gailmard

To make this event all the more special, Tish was recently featured in Rock City’s blog on the importance of education. “It is truly a unique experience to see native wildlife that you probably have never seen up close before,” she said. “It gives me the opportunity to teach about the value of these animals, because truly without them we do not survive. They provide fabulous ecosystem services, and they do it all for free.”

To see the show, stop by Legacy Lane next to the Critter Classroom from Monday to Wednesday, 10am to 4pm, to meet our native animal ambassadors! Our educators hold six shows daily, so be sure not to miss it! We are so excited to have this opportunity for sharing the value of native animals with our community.