| Baby
Animal Days bringing kids of all ages to Heritage Center
By Brittany Strickland
April 24, 2008 | Oink …
Baa …
Bleat ...
Neigh …
Chirp ...
Moo …
“Baby Animal Days” is more
than just a petting zoo. According to their homepage,
The American West Heritage Center is a 1917-styled farm,
devoted to recognizing the older techniques of farming
in Utah. Its goal is to educate others about the early
lifestyles of the 1900s and to celebrate the strength
of the people and their devotion during that time. Through
different activities and events, the AWHC represents
a time when life was simple, when duties were clear,
and when men, women and children worked together, all
day and all night to help their land flourish.
The history of the American West
Heritage Center begins in 1972, when Utah State University
recreated scenes from the Old West. They made efforts
to present historical presentations to the students,
teachers and those visiting the campus.
When Ronald V. Jensen, a previous
student at USU, saw what the school was doing, he told
Utah State that these presentations had sparked plans
inside of him.
These plans were to develop an authentic
living historical history farm whose purpose was to
educate the public on past and modern farming in the
American West. With the help of USU, the museum opened
in 1980 and became a popular tourism attraction in later
years, with more than 80,000 people visiting annually.
With multiple hallmarks, the AWHC
has become a thriving aspect of Logan, Utah's culture.
Each year, the AWHC honors tradition
by hosting a large event, rightfully called "Baby Animal
Days." With this yearly celebration comes a festival
that locals and visitors unite to participate in. With
activities such as the Treasure Hunt, Li'l Buckaroo
Rodeo, vendors and other events, "Baby Animal Days"
appeals to many children and adults, alike. However,
this year, there was an added surprise.
The AWHC had decided to commit to
two extra days in which people could go spend time with
only the baby animals. No other festivities would be
held; just the people, the animals and plenty of time
to interact.
From 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. April
19, and again on April 26, infant animals have been
docked in stalls, lining the Jensen Farm at the AWHC.
Small chicks and ducks have been displayed in crates.
Toads and turtles have been mingling as they await the
arrival of eager children and adults.
After a brief tractor ride from the
top of the encampment to the base of the Jensen Ranch,
animals such as donkeys, calves, goat kids, lambs, piglets,
chicks, bunnies, horses and others start to come into
view. The rare and unique experience begins.
From the tractor, you step down two
green, grated steps and walk between three wooden posts:
two on either side of you and one above you. The name
“Jensen Ranch” is posted above. From there, you are
on the path to look around and see all of the new life
that has become a part of this Ranch.
According to David Sidwell, Program
Director at the AWHC, all creatures benefit from this
experience. He says that, “Some families would rather
just have fun with the animals. We expect that it will
be a quieter, more intimate, less crowded time for families
whose focus is just on the animals and their ‘snuggliness.’"
And it’s true that these animals
are definitely “snuggly”.
While visiting the AWHC, I noticed
a girl, smiling with braces and braiding her peaches-and-cream
colored ponytail. She sat holding two goat kids, each
only as small as a football. She would graze the base
of their tails with her fingertips -- the tails flitting
about with irritation or playfulness it was hard to
tell, though they swarmed around their mother and put
their front hooves on the fence in order to properly
analyze the onlookers. They seemed too eager to be irritated.
This same girl’s brother sat in the
stall next to her, petting six-day old lambs. Their
fleece was sponge-like and their faces were curious.
Their mom, a stunningly large ewe, was shaven on her
rear, left flank. The difference between her sheered
fur and her winter coat were extraordinary. One was
so thick and immovable; the other light but still strong.
Another child sat on a bench, half
painted and splintered, his arms reaching out to touch
the feet of a tiny white rabbit. The ashen gray of the
bunny’s nose, still twitching as the wind touched against
it. Others were seated along the left and right of the
boy. Down the rows, each one of them held a small rabbit
and one small boy was crying from the fear of the unknown.
Behind this boy, a couple of yards
away, a girl was standing next to a pine box, holding
a small rooster in her hands; his head, ebony and drifting
to the side as the commotion of the day tuckered him
out. His beak lay on her wrist, completely trusting
of the compassion of a small child.
"I think that some of the most
popular animals are the chicks and ducklings," expressed
Lorraine Bowen, Programming Coordinator for the AWHC.
"They are just beginning to fill out their wings now,
but they're really fluffy and cuddly.”
Other animals, like toads and turtles,
were not as consistently welcomed as more feathered
or furry creatures. The toads sat buried in mahogany
stained mud … crickets were leaping from the sides of
the glass tanks.
The turtles were swimming in a tiny
pool … some taking a rest on a thin plank of wood and
others kicking their toes in an effort to get the feel
of moving water.
Children held out their hands with
shaky anticipation of holding something so mucky, and
skeptical adults waited near the hand sanitizer units
until their children were ready to focus their attention
elsewhere.
Sidwell said, “They can kiss a toad
if they want, but we do not guarantee that it will turn
into a prince."
The animals were certainly a big
help back in the 1900s. From sources of food, to sources
of strength, they aided in the survival of the farms
of the Old West. The AWHC strives to represent what
those early families tried so hard to do. The American
West Heritage Center honors their struggles, their successes,
their weaknesses, their intelligence and most of all
their diligence.
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