Guides encounter natural wonders

Baldivis Girl Guides had a close encounter with some creepy crawlies this month.

The Guides were visited by the Peel Zoo2U Program on June 2 and were introduced to reptiles, including the northern blue-tongue lizard, and invertebrates such as the giant burrowing cockroach, Goliath stick insect, Australian tarantula and scorpions.

Guide leader Kym Nugent said they had chosen the Zoo2U program because it came to them, making it easy and more cost-effective for families.

“They are a local business, we had received positive feedback from parents of our Guides and they work with kids all the time, which was a huge plus,” she said.

“We love getting our Guides involved in all aspects of life — just because we are girls doesn’t mean we can’t love scorpions or stick insects or giant cockroaches.

“Learning about animals that aren’t traditionally loved was a great way to open the girls’ minds to new things and help them to understand that even scary and ugly animals can be fascinating.”

The Guides learnt about the lives of the critters, asked plenty of questions and took turns holding the tamer creatures.