If you’ve been to one of our Urban Ecology Center branches, you have probably visited one of our Native Wisconsin Animal Rooms and seen the many cold-blooded critters that call the UEC our home. Our education animals are an important part of our mission to provide kids and families with life-changing encounters with the natural world. A lot goes on behind the scenes to make this happen: the animals need to be fed, their homes need to be cleaned, and we need to make sure they remain healthy. That last item is made much easier thanks to the generosity of Lakeside Animal Hospital.

Who knew that when our parents told us to go outside and play they were dispensing medical advice? In the September/October issue of the newsletter I mentioned “Indoor Sickness”, a term coined by Dr. Daphne Miller, that increasingly is gaining attention from medical professionals. “Indoor Sickness” is an umbrella term for diseases linked to a sedentary lifestyle.