To help ring in the new year, Saturday at the Missouri Department of Conservation had a special treat for children.
Every hour, from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m., a surprise visit by an animal was presented at the lobby of the Runge Conservation Nature Center.
One by one, children accompanied by parents and grandparents trickled into the lobby where they were greeted by the special visitor of that particular hour.
All reptiles, the five animals were a box turtle, a speckled kingsnake, a spotted salamander, a painted turtle and a bullsnake -- in that order.
At 11 a.m., the announcement for the next animal came in.
"It is now 11 o'clock, time to reveal our next animal of the hour," announced Sarah Easton, a naturalist at the Missouri Department of Conservation, before presenting the second animal of the day: the speckled kingsnake.
For the presentation, visitors followed Easton to a theater-like room. But before she began, Easton tested the children's memory skills with a pop quiz.
"Who was here in the last hour?" Easton asked the children. "What animal were we featuring?"
"A box turtle," one child said.
"A box turtle!" echoed Easton. "With how many toes?"
"Threeeee!" yelled another child.
"Three! A three-toed box turtle!" Easton repeated, before proceeding with the presentation.
Being a common snake in the state of Missouri, Easton said that the nonvenomous speckled kingsnake is her favorite type of snake because he is immune to rattlesnake and copperhead venom.
In fact, Easton said, he can eat them.
"So he is extra good to have around your house," she told children. "Not only because he helps keep those mice in control, but he helps keep those snakes that we clearly don't like as much in control as well."
"In this hour we have another very special guest," Easton continued, as she opened a critter box and pulled out the snake.
"Wooooooow!" the mesmerized children responded.
"The speckled kingsnake," Easton said.
Following the presentation, children moved back to the lobby area to pet the snake.
"Snakes are cool," one child said.
"They are," Easton responded. "That's why they're one of my favorites."
Judith Deel, a 5-year volunteer with the conservation department, stood by a table in the lobby and watched the children pet the snake -- something that "lights kids up with excitement or enthusiasm," she said.
But Deel also touched on another aspect she likes during these activities. She said the experience of observing and touching the animals teaches children as much about themselves as it does about the animals.
"You know, the special guests that are coming out may not necessarily be a critter that (the children) really want anything to do with," Deel said. Yet, once the animals are brought out, "the little kids were able to actually take a finger and touch it," and "overcome their fear."
Along with animals, crafts, crayons and word puzzles were offered to children while they waited for the next special guest to come out.
"It's fun to see people coming in (and) experiencing nature as a family," Easton said. "And I think that when you have that positive emotional connection with your family and with nature, all those things gel together to make a bigger impact."
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Sawyer Samuelson, 3, touches a speckled king snake without hesitation on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022 at Runge Nature Center. The snake was the eleven o'clock mystery animal at Runge's Rings in the New Year event.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Benjamin Portra pets a three-toed box turtle on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2022 at Runge Nature Center. Porta counted the number of spots on the turtle in an attempt to figure out how old he is.
Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo: Rachel Salmons watches her grandson, Benjamin Portra, 6, color spots on a bowl to make a turtle. The craft was part of the ten o'clock mystery animal reveal at Runge's Ring in the New Year event.