Photo courtesy of the Alabama Wildlife Center.
Children get an up-close and personal look at an owl, one of the birds of prey that live in Alabama and are helped by the Alabama Wildlife Center during the 2016 Alabama Wildlife Center craft and bake sale.
Alabama Wildlife Center will host its 16th annual holiday craft and bake sale fundraiser at Veterans Park in Hoover on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
As usual, attendees can choose from a generous selection of homemade art, gifts and food.
But the sale is more than a great opportunity to do holiday shopping, according to Doug Adair, AWC’s executive director.
“This event has developed into much more than a holiday craft and bake sale,” Adair said. “It’s a fun event for the whole family.”
For example, kids can have their pictures taken with Santa and make their own bird feeders.
And both kids and adults can meet majestic, glove-trained birds of prey, including owls, hawks and raptors while learning more about Alabama’s wildlife.
“Most people don’t have the opportunity to interact up close and personal with those animals, and ... that’s a unique, fun aspect.” Adair said.
The sale will feature jewelry, ornaments, holiday decorations, bird feeders, quilts, pet items and original artwork.
Food items will include bread, cakes and cookies; jams and jellies; frozen casseroles; and smoked hams.
The AWC, at Oak Mountain State Park, is Alabama’s oldest, largest conservation education and wildlife rehabilitation center and is celebrating its 40th anniversary, according to Adair.
Sale proceeds are used to support AWC operations, such as caring for almost 2,000 wild birds from 100 different species and presenting almost 400 conservation and education programs in Alabama annually.
For more information, call 663-7930 or email wildlife@awrc.org.
