Ecotarium

Kenda the polar bear

The Ecotarium, an indoor/outdoor and science/nature museum that we stumbled upon  last winter when Matthew was only nine months old. It's close by and we met some friends there for story hour, where we were served hot cocoa and read a book about wild animals. 



After the story hour Matthew and his friends played inside of a wooden boat in the Discovery Room, which was full of books, puzzles, and puppets.

After we left the Discovery Room we walked outside along a paved nature trail that lead us past a working train reminiscent of an 1860’s steam engine, and to a Polar Bear named Kenda. Charmed by what would soon become one of many afternoons at the Ecotarium, that night I ordered a museum membership online.

“When I was a kid it was called the New England Science Center,” Bob tells me sounding one hundred and fifty years old, “All I remember is that they had an antelope called Kirk’s Dik Dik.” To this day he snickers at the memory.

Seven months since finding our new favorite museum Matthew tugs me by the hand down an unpaved trail that leads to an exhibit of river otters. The river otters appear to be missing but Matthew amuses himself by watching the toy ball float around the water. “Ball?”

“Come on let’s go look at the pumpkins,” I suggest to him and we hike back to the paved area where hundreds of painted pumpkins and Jack O lanterns line the pavement paths, on display for Halloween.

“Ooohh,” Matt points in appreciation, not at one of the pumpkins but to the bright green dinosaur tracks on the cement that lead inside the museum, he is now just noticing for the first time. Every couple of steps he stops to bend down and admire one. Once we are inside Matthew heads straight for the elevator to bring him to his favorite part of the museum.

Soon we are standing in a darkly lit room with once alive animals posed rigidly behind glass enclosures. The exhibit is called The African Communities. The Kirk’s Dik Dik among others diligently teach us that over-population, can cause competition for food, water and space.

Next we stroll back outside down a paved path, passing a couple of skunks, a Red Fox, and a few different types of birds in cages. Matthew runs ahead or lags behind the whole way. When we reach Kenda, she is sitting outside of her cave looking out at us.

 “Doggie!” Matthew points her out to me.