Virtual Wildlife Encounters

15-minute Virtual Meet & Greet with one of the following animal ambassadors:

• Birds: Parrots, American Kestrel, Barn Owl, Screech Owl, Burrowing Owl, Red-Tailed Hawk, Eagle Exhibit
• Snakes: Kingsnake, Rosy Boa, Milksnake, Cornsnake, Coastal Glossy, Gopher
• Reptiles: Desert Tortoise (Adult & Juvenile sizes), Desert Iguana (Chuckwalla), Prehensile Tailed Skink
• Marine: Shark Pup, Shark & Ray Exhibit, Sea Turtle Exhibit, Tidepool Animals & Crabs
• Mammal: Opossum

What is a Virtual Animal Encounter?

You and your family are invited to join us for a 1-hour Zoom wildlife program. We will play games, meet animals, discover new things, and more. At the end, we will provide you with a fun craft or activity to do with your family together. Each program is specially designed to target children within specific age groups, but all children and family members are welcome!

What to expect?

Register online here: Online Registration

48 hours prior to the event we will email the coordinator a unique Zoom code to send to all participants, unless you indicated you have your own company or personal platform for interacting with your organization, family, friends, or group.

5 minutes prior to the event the session will open and participants will begin being admitted

For the event, our team member will have proper equipment, an appropriate backdrop or space, and be ready with your animal ambassador.

Please note: While we do our best to accommodate animal requests, for the safety of our animal ambassadors we do not guarantee a particular animal will be available on the scheduled date and time. If adjustments need to be made, we will do our best to communicate with you, but sometimes last minute adjustments arise.

Zoom Platform

For our programs, we use a video conference platform called Zoom.  It will be required to have a Zoom compatible device with video, sound and microphone capabilities.

We recommend using a large tablet, laptop, or PC for the best virtual experience. Anything smaller may make it difficult to see, hear and interact with our program staff!

1. Log into Zoom.
2. Go to zoom.us.
3. Scroll to the bottom and under “support” click “test Zoom”.
4. It will ask you to join a meeting, click “join” and make sure to disable any pop up blockers.
5. Allow Zoom to open when a pop up window opens
6. Join the meeting with video and audio.

Zoom Policies

1. Private password protected link. Please make sure you forward your unique Zoom link and password to all participants so there is no confusion or delay in starting your program.
2. We are family friendly & professional organization. Please encourage all guests to be respectful of others on the platform. Any un-friendly comments or remarks will be removed immediately. Any crude, harsh, or discriminatory signs, symbols, gestures, words, or any other form of inappropriate communication will warrant an immediate ban from the event and no refunds will be administered.
3. Private chat features will be disabled for the safety of all participants.
4. Muting and unmuting will be controlled by our support staff when necessary.
5. Raising of hands, claps, thumbs up and other Zoom or personal gestures are appropriate methods of communication. Asking questions and saying comments are also encouraged by our staff.
6. The Living Coast Discovery Center will have several support staff monitoring the event for safety and respect.

Cancellation Policy

No refunds are given on programs canceled by registrant less than 7 days prior to the program date.  For cancellations made by registrant more than 7 days prior to first date of program an 80% refund will be given.  LCDC reserves the right to cancel any program.  In the event that LCDC cancels a program, all program fees will be refunded.

Contact Information

For more information on programs and registration, please contact our Education Department via email at education@thelivingcoast.org or by phone at 619-409-5908

You bring the cake and we’ll bring the FUN! Enjoy 30-minutes of education, animal meet and greets, wildlife games, and more. This party addition is sure to leave your child’s next birthday with something to talk about for years to come. Optional adopt-an-animal gift package is available for the birthday boy or girl.

Available Birthday Themes:

• Seashore Gems, best for ages 4-5
• Sea Turtle Celebration, best for ages 5 and up
• Shark and Ray Shindig, best for ages 5 and up
• Feathered Fiesta, best for ages 7 and up

Get a few steps closer to completing your Journey or Adventure Badge program with the Living Coast Discovery Center. Scouts will have an opportunity to learn about local wildlife, discover ways they can make a difference, and meet an animal friend up-close. This program runs approximately 45-minutes and some come with an optional activity or craft to be completed at home.

Available Programs:

• Daisies – Clover’s Story
• Daisies – Rosie’s Story
• Brownies – Bugs Journey Badge
• Juniors – Animal Habitats Journey Badge
• Bears – Fur, Feathers, & Ferns

Register Now

Want to host a wildlife lecture or webinar for kids and families? The Living Coast education team has you covered! Families will enjoy this interactive 30-minute informational webinar, complete with an animal encounter, stunning visuals, and live responses to their questions.

Available Themes:

• Science of Flight – all about birds & raptors
• Shark Survivor – all about sharks & rays
• Seashore Splash – all about marine invertebrates & tidepools
• Crawling Crustaceans – all about crabs, lobsters, & crayfish
• Radical Reptiles – all about local reptiles including tortoises, snakes, and iguanas
• Turtle Treasures – all about green sea turtles

What is a Virtual Wildlife Program?

You and your family, troop, class, or members are invited to join us for a virtual wildlife program. We will play games, meet animals, discover new things, and more. Each program is specially designed to target children within specific age groups, but all children, siblings, scouts, party guests, and family members are welcome!

What to expect?

1 week prior to the event we will be sending a materials list of anything that should be gathered prior to the event, if applicable. Most materials are typical household products or items that can easily be obtained at any convenience store.

48 hours prior to the event we will email the coordinator a unique Zoom code to send to all participants, unless you indicated you have your own  personal platform for interacting with your troop, family, friends, or group.

5 minutes prior to the event the session will open and participants will begin being admitted

For the event, our team member will have proper equipment, an appropriate backdrop or space, and be ready with your animal ambassador and program.

Please note: While we do our best to accommodate animal requests, for the safety of our animal ambassadors we do not guarantee a particular animal will be available on the scheduled date and time. If adjustments need to be made, we will do our best to communicate with you, but sometimes last minute adjustments arise.

Zoom Platform

For our programs, we use a video conference platform called Zoom.  It will be required to have a Zoom compatible device with video, sound and microphone capabilities.

We recommend using a large tablet, laptop, or PC for the best virtual experience. Anything smaller may make it difficult to see, hear and interact with our program staff!

1. Log into Zoom.
2. Go to zoom.us.
3. Scroll to the bottom and under “support” click “test Zoom”.
4. It will ask you to join a meeting, click “join” and make sure to disable any pop up blockers.
5. Allow Zoom to open when a pop up window opens
6. Join the meeting with video and audio.

Zoom Policies

1. Private password protected link. Please make sure you forward your unique Zoom link and password to all participants so there is no confusion or delay in starting your program.
2. We are family friendly & professional organization. Please encourage all guests to be respectful of others on the platform. Any un-friendly comments or remarks will be removed immediately. Any crude, harsh, or discriminatory signs, symbols, gestures, words, or any other form of inappropriate communication will warrant an immediate ban from the event and no refunds will be administered.
3. Private chat features will be disabled for the safety of all participants.
4. Muting and unmuting will be controlled by our support staff when necessary.
5. Raising of hands, claps, thumbs up and other Zoom or personal gestures are appropriate methods of communication. Asking questions and saying comments are also encouraged by our staff.
6. The Living Coast Discovery Center will have several support staff monitoring the event for safety and respect.

How to Set Your Household Up for Success

1. Prepare: Make sure to have a good internet connection and practice logging into Zoom using the steps above.
2. Platform: Please help any young participants log onto the Zoom program. We will be controlling their ability to mute and unmute from our end if they are unable to do it themselves.
3. Participate: Please try and set up in a good space with an area for movement in front of the screen. 

1. Do I have to follow the age requirements?
   Our programs are designed with specific age levels in mind. However, this is also meant to be a family experience. So feel free to sign up for any age level, but just be prepared to adjust your conversations with your child or scout based on the content matter. We want to ensure your child has the best experience possible. Pick what you think works best for your family life-style.
2. Does an adult need to be present?
   It is not required for an adult to be present in the room/Zoom session. However, this is a family-friendly event and we encourage all “children at heart” to join (adults that means you too!) It is required that a responsible adult is still within the household and supervising all participants in case an emergency should arise.
3. What is your cancellation policy?
   No refunds are given on programs canceled by registrant less than 7 days prior to the program date.  For cancellations made by registrant more than 7 days prior to first date of program an 80% refund will be given.  LCDC reserves the right to cancel any program.  In the event that LCDC cancels a program, all program fees will be refunded.

Contact Information
For more information on programs and registration, please contact our Education Department via email at education@thelivingcoast.org or by phone at 619-409-5908