Children’s Book Series Inspired By Local Wildlife To Be Featured In Sag Harbor StoryWalk

Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt (FLPG) will continue its StoryWalk trail series with a walk and book signing highlighting East Hampton wildlife handler, rescuer, and educator Dell Cullum’s The Wild Adventures of Scurry the Squirrel, which was illustrated by Michele Mott.

“The Wild Adventures of Scurry the Squirrel: Book Two is the second in an ongoing series, following the adventures of a rehab squirrel I raised named Scurry,” Cullum explained. “Scurry teaches both young and old, why wildlife so important, why we need to be compassionate toward our wildlife, as well as introducing the readers to all our beautiful wildlife species that we share the East End of Long Island with.”

The purpose of StoryWalk®, which was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, is to encourage all ages to enjoy nature, as well as thoughtful children’s books that champion our wildlife friends.

“Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt have made the first Scurry book the subject of their Nature / Story Walk at Mashashimuet Park in Sag Harbor where both the book’s illustrator Michele Mott and myself will be selling and signing books,” Cullum noted.

Cullum is the owner of Hampton Wildlife Removal & Rescue in East Hampton, which utilize 100 percent humane practices and no kill trapping. The wildlife rehabilitator and educator also has a passion for filmmaker and photographer. He is the creator and host of Imagination Nature TV, which airs on LTV.

In addition to teaching little ones about beloved native wildlife through the Scurry series, Cullum has served as a guest speaker at many local socials, as well as for adult groups and organizations, including at the 2019 Long Island Natural History Conference at Brookhaven.

Fans of the series will be thrilled to learn that one of the book’s stars will be attending the event. “I’ll also have Athena, my educational screech owl who is introduced at the end of book two, and will be the subject of book three,” he shared. “We even had a special autograph Scurry stamp made from Scurry’s actual paw print, so folks who already have the book can stop by and get it Scurry stamped.”

The walk and book signing Mashashimuet Park in Sag Harbor will be held on Saturday, December 14 at 12 p.m., with a rain date of Sunday, December 15.

“Hope to see everyone there,” Cullum added.

FLPG, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, “is dedicated to the preservation, stewardship, and public appreciation of the unique expanse of coastal plain ponds, freshwater swamps, wetlands, and woodlands in the Town of Southampton known as the Long Pond Greenbelt, which stretches from Ligonee Creek in Sag Harbor to Sagg Pond in Sagaponack.”

For more information, visit www.longpondgreenbelt.org.