Date: June 9, 2026

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Location: Polk County Public Libraries, Saluda Branch

Speaker: Carlton Burke, naturalist and educator

There are certain species of animals that many people fear and hate, largely due to prejudice and misinformation.  Far from being pests or villains however, many of these creatures are actually beneficial to man and play very important roles in the natural world. Assembled in this presentation are many of those animals that we seem to love . . . TO HATE! 

This program will feature LIVE animals and will be great for the whole family, so bring the kids!

Carlton Burke is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who operates Carolina Mountain Naturalists, an education service which presents a variety of wildlife and nature-related programs. He previously spent many years as the Curator of Exhibits at the Western North Carolina Nature Center and is one of the founding instructors for the Blue Ridge Naturalist Certificate program at the NC Arboretum where he presents many programs and also presently works as an environmental instructor with the non-profit organization Mountain Roots.

The Saluda Library Speaker Series programs are made possible thanks to our partnership with the Polk County Public Libraries Systems.

Contact Pam Torlina, pam@conservingcarolina.org, with questions or for more information.