Kids enjoy critters at West Valley Outdoor Learning Center

The West Valley Outdoor Learning Center held an open house Saturday to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope.

But getting kids to focus on the groundbreaking space telescope wasn’t easy with all of the center’s hawks, owls, turtles and snakes around.

Neharika Sharma, 9, had been to the center once before on a school field trip and handed off an impressive pile of found “moon rocks” to her mother, Pallavi Sharma, as she ran toward the bird exhibit.

“I like all the owls,” she said. “I like that they’re sort of mysterious.”

Her mother was appreciating the chance to see the animals up close.

“It’s really cool,” her mother said. “The kids learn so much, and it’s hands-on.”

Education director Jami Ostby Marsh said the center focused on the planet, space and the stars for this month’s open house in honor of the spring equinox. Kids could make a constellation out of marshmallows, make a cloud finder to help identify types of clouds or learn about the Hubble telescope. The grounds outside the facility were sprinkled with silver-painted “moon rocks” for kids to find and redeem for prizes.

The center is open for school groups during the week and staff also take birds to visit local schools. An open house is held once a month so the public gets a chance to visit the center. All of the birds that live there have disabling injuries that wouldn’t let them survive in the wild.

Amanda Hicks was at the center with her children and mother for the first time Saturday.

Young Lilie Hicks, 7, declared that the snakes were her favorite “because they slither.” However, she hadn’t mustered the courage to touch one.

Grandmother Kim Roybal took pictures as Lilie and her siblings got close to one of the hawks as it perched on its handler’s fist.

“I absolutely love it,” Amanda Hicks said. “It’s awesome bringing the kids here and let them see something like that.”