This past weekend I attended the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (SEWE) in Marion Square with a roommate of mine. I had never been before, and I really enjoyed all of the aspects it had to offer. Many art exhibits were included in the event, which was enjoyable to see. The abundance of dogs roaming around Marion Square was definitely my favorite part! The Boykin Spaniel Rescue team had volunteers attend the event and walk around with dogs that could be rescued. Throughout the event I was able to see and learn about different types of owls, turtles, dogs, snakes, birds, and alligators. There was an event occuring when I arrived where a faculty member showcased a falcon and an owl in flight, while providing educational content as well. I can’t remember the type at the moment; however, as you walked through the tent that had all of the snakes in it, the faculty member informed you of the types that you should report to them if you were to see them in the wild. This is due to the fact that they are endangered and the organization works to conserve wildlife. My roommate and I were able to see a large type of snapping turtle and watched the man in charge of this portion of the event pick it up. A fact that I learned about alligators, which I did not know before, is that they grow throughout their entire life and can live for 75 to 100 years! I personally found this extremely shocking.

My absolute least favorite part of the event was that I was able to hold a snake, which I only did because my roommate was encouraging it. I also learned that the fastest snake in the world is able to move at around 10 miles per hour, which slightly scares me. Another tent at the event included various species of birds and owls that were from all different climates, for example one type of owl, that had engaging coloring, was from the rain forest. An enjoyable aspect of SEWE was that I was able to meet a calf, named Jersey, that had only been born 3 days prior to the event.

In addition to the many types of animals at the event, there was a great deal of locally grown food products available. There was an entire tent full of fruits and vegetables that had been locally grown. As you walked through the tent, faculty explained where everything came from, which made me think about the fact that we normally have no idea where the produce bought from the grocery store comes from. A stand was in the event that offered many different types and flavors of olive oil. Here it was explained that around half of their products were locally produced or blended. Spread throughout Marion square was multiple opportunities to recycle, along with various educational content regarding ecological conservation. The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition as a whole related to our class, because they share our passion for conserving the environment and all of the species it has to offer!