By Brynna Williamson
The scrolling banner moving across the top of this website runs past your eyes: “NEW! Drones Program, Skulls Program, Water Quality Testing, Teambuilding, STEM Camp!” And the name of the organization doesn’t help much: “The Creature Teacher.” That’s all the context you get at first glance. But you’re intrigued!
So what is it?
As your eyes search the page, finally landing on the photo of a man pictured with several children—who are smiling as they collectively hold a ginormous yellow snake—you get your shortened, condensed answer: “Interactive Animal Experiences. Wildly Educational Live Animal Programs.”
What The Creature Teacher Actually Does
Together with the inclusion of hands-on, live animals, The Creature Teacher team members (who, the website states, are comprised of “current and former educators”) bring their passion for zoology right to local kids. Their mission is to make sure that children, adults, and everyone in between have a place to “inspire curiosity, foster a love for animals, and nurture a lifelong passion for learning.”
So why use live animals, you might ask? Well, The Creature Teacher believes that featuring live animals in the program just adds a little something special.
“Live animals help our talented group of instructors keep the audience’s attention while instilling animal education and an appreciation for nature and conservation,” the website states. “We believe that learning should extend beyond the classroom walls. That’s why we bring our incredible animal encounters right to your doorstep.”
What The Creature Teacher does, then, is bring animals and people together in a safe, supervised environment—one in which people can learn, laugh, and actually get to know the animals.
And in case you were wondering, The Creature Teacher is indeed safety certified and beloved by many. According to the website, The Creature Teacher holds a Class C Exhibitor’s License with the USDA; their animals receive “regular veterinary care” and live in clean habitats; their educators “hold advanced degrees in education and science,” and their curriculum is aligned with grade-appropriate TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) curriculum.
“This was one of the most exciting experiences of my life. I was over the moon when I was asked to volunteer and ended up getting to interact with Gio the kangaroo. 10 out of 10 would recommend!” wrote client Jamie Jones.
“If I could give 1,000 stars, I would. Thank you all sooo much again!! Y’all are awesome!” agreed another client.
Why They Do What They Do
The reasoning behind The Creature Teacher is simple: “We are passionate about making science come to life through close encounters with fascinating animals,” they write on the website. “We don’t think learning should be limited to the classroom.”
“(Our) wildlife education programs (are) designed to captivate audiences of all ages. We understand how to teach in a way to make the words on the pages come to life. (We instill) animal education and an appreciation for nature and conservation.”
Their desire to teach zoology, of course, branches into many niche topics, which staff at The Creature Teacher are more than glad to cover. From explaining “what animals might be encountered while camping, which ones to fear, and which ones to appreciate the most,” to putting a smile on the face of a senior by bringing them “the excitement of seeing a kangaroo hop around the room or the sight of an odd creature like our coatimundi,” The Creature Teacher aims to “ignite wonder in any audience with fun-filled, educational presentations.”
Really, the reason that they have such passion for teaching others about these animals boils down to this: seeing, safely handling, and learning about cool, unique, and even foreign animals is just plain fun.
“Who doesn’t love animals?” the website asks. “Our programs will have you and your students laughing, cheering, and learning.”
Where They Do It
The Creature Teacher is not one of those exclusionist events that only hyper-rich, big-city kids can participate in and see. While they do also serve the Houston, Dallas, and Fort Worth areas, they also come to Tyler, Longview, and yes—you guessed it—Wood County!
In fact, The Creature Teacher will again be featured in May of this year at the Lake Fork Family Fest and Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament, which will come right here to Wood County, Texas’ Lake Fork at Caney Point Recreation Area.
If anyone wanted to come see The Creature Teacher in their own time—whether as the website states, it’s for a scout meeting, reunion, birthday party, library event, senior living center program, or homeschool education day, or other event—it’s actually quite affordable for a group to “purchase.”
“The sky is the limit,” they write.
So after you get all of this information, you scroll back up to the top of the home page of The Creature Teacher website, and you realize that the very first question on the site says it all: “Are you ready to venture on an extraordinary animal educational journey filled with laughter, learning, and awe-inspiring creatures?” Well? Are you?