A wonderful gem for animal lovers exists right here in Culver City. STAR Eco Station is a nonprofit that touts itself as both an environmental science museum and a rescue center for endangered animals, according to the center’s website.
STAR Eco Station’s 18th annual Children’s Earth Day is planned for April 22 at 10101 Jefferson Blvd, Culver City. The event is free and will feature rides, games, and opportunities to see wildlife, organizers said. Discounted tours of the Eco Station will also be offered.
STAR’s mission is to both care for these animals as well as to educate community members. This is accomplished through various classes about ecology and the environment.
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and other environmental agencies work in collaboration with STAR to provide a refuge for illegal or abandoned at-risk exotic wildlife.
There are hands-on lessons with reptiles, mammals, and exotic birds. The serious business of owning an exotic or endangered animal will also be addressed.
Local schools often have tours at STAR to educate their students. In fact, more than 40 school districts in California that have benefitted from the environmental education programs offered here, STAR officials said.
Other exotic animals such as dragon lizards or a lynx, which can’t be found at a local park, may be seen at STAR. Cory Adolphus, assistant director of STAR for 17 years, said that “if owning an exotic animal is up for consideration, STAR can provide the education as well as a possible opportunity to adopt a rescued animal.”
Adolphus’s passion for the welfare of animals seems obvious. He stated that this refuge offers a wide variety of wildlife that is constantly changing and that a tour with a knowledgeable guide will accompany guests through their indoor facility to educate and answer questions.
Adolphus shared at length how these exotics find their way to the Star Eco Station for a variety of reasons. Exotic animals are sometimes abandoned by a family that can no longer afford to care for them as pets. Other animals are here because the owner has passed away.
Another startling fact is that as many as 50 to 60 percent of STAR’s wildlife are obtained by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Adolphus said. This is due to illegal trade. Offering a literal last chance to these vulnerable animals, this nonprofit does it’s best to nurture and house them — long term if necessary.
Volunteering, taking a tour, or even participating in a spring or summer camp are a few of the reasons people keep returning to STAR, according to Adolphus.
For more information about STAR Eco Station, call 310-842-8060 or visit http://www.ecostation.org.
