The sun is still blazing, but the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge and the Fort Worth Public Library closed the book Aug. 3 on its summer reading series.
As part of First Wednesdays with Nature Center, children and parents gathered to read books about birds, tour around the Hardwicke Interpretive Visitor Center, 9601 Fossil Ridge Road, and to talk about owls and other birds.
The Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge hosts its final First Wednesday story time of the summer on Aug. 3 at the Hardwicke Interpretive Visitor Center, 9601 Fossil Ridge Road. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Fort Worth Public Library Youth Programming Librarian Olivia Todd introduces herself to children on Aug. 3 at the Hardwicke Interpretive Visitor Center, 9601 Fossil Ridge Road. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Fort Worth Public Library Youth Programming Librarian Olivia Todd presents a book to children on Aug. 3 at the Hardwicke Interpretive Visitor Center, 9601 Fossil Ridge Road. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Fort Worth Public Library Youth Programming Librarian Olivia Todd interacts with children on Aug. 3 at the Hardwicke Interpretive Visitor Center, 9601 Fossil Ridge Road. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Michael Perez, the natural scientist supervisor at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, waits for children to line up for an outdoor tour on Aug. 3 at the Hardwicke Interpretive Visitor Center, 9601 Fossil Ridge Road. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Michael Perez, the natural scientist supervisor at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge, guides children on Aug. 3 at the Hardwicke Interpretive Visitor Center, 9601 Fossil Ridge Road. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report) 
Children make arts and crafts owls on Aug. 3 at the Hardwicke Interpretive Visitor Center, 9601 Fossil Ridge Road. (Cristian ArguetaSoto | Fort Worth Report)
Each month had its own theme, and the series ended with birds. In June, children learned about wildflowers and in July about insects, said Michael Perez, the natural scientist supervisor at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge.
Half of the children stayed inside the interpretive center to read and work on crafting owls with paper and empty toilet paper rolls; the other half, with Perez, toured the outside of the center where birds are kept.
“We’re just trying to encourage kids with literacy through storytime, but also just exploring outside,” Perez said. ‘We’d love to do this every summer.”
Cristian ArguetaSoto is the community engagement journalist at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him by email or via Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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