Rockdale Citizen

Photo by Nate McCullough

MANSFIELD -- Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center is offering families a day of free fun on Saturday, May 14.

The annual J.A.K.E.S. Day Festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the center, located at 543 Elliott Trail in Mansfield.

Activities will include archery, fishing, shooting, mini-boat rides and live snake and birds of prey programs. The Atlanta Astronomy Club will set up a planetarium for children to gaze at the stars and a variety of organizations will be on hand with information about wildlife, conservation efforts and outdoor recreational opportunities.

"Our whole mission here at Charlie Elliott is to teach Georgia's youth and adults about wildlife and natural resources and the outdoors and to really help them become wise stewards of the environment, and this flows perfectly into that," said Program Manager Rusty Garrison. "We want to expose people to the outdoors, get them off their Nintendos and doing something fun outside."

Activities are aimed at children age 17 and under, but the event has proven popular with adults as well, Garrison said. The first 300 children to arrive will receive a free T-shirt. A hot dog lunch will be provided.

Memberships in the National Wildlife Turkey Federation's J.A.K.E.S. Club will be available for a small fee. Door prizes will be presented at the end of the afternoon. The Charlie Elliott museum and gift shop will be open for visitors.

Sponsors of the event are the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division and the Georgia Chapter of the National Wildlife Turkey Federation.

For more information, call 770-784-3059.