HUGHSON - The Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center will celebrate spring with its annual Baby Animal Shower, allowing the public to see some educational animals up close and personal.

The event will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday May 20, at the Wildlife Center inside Fox Grove Fishing Access, 1220 Geer Road. Games, refreshments, face painting, T-shirts for sale, and kid's crafts will be offered. There is no admission charge, but a list of suggested gifts is as follows: paper towels, postage stamps, receiving blankets, bleach, new heating pads (not the auto shut-off kind), 13-gallon trash bags, Dawn dishwashing liquid, Playtex dish washing gloves (small and medium), liquid laundry soap, baby travel playpens, daisy mats or a cash donation. Volunteers are also welcome.

The public can also meet volunteers and employees, the people who care for the 2,000 plus injured and orphaned animal admitted each year. Also available for viewing are the center's animal ambassadors, or animals that cannot be released into the wild for various reasons and now reside at the center. Many of these animals are used in school presentations to help educate about California native wildlife. Hopper the raven, Poe the crow, Jet the American kestrel, Carson the red-tailed hawk, and Titus the great-horned owl are a few of the animals that will be available for viewing. Display times are posted on the center's website, StanislausWildlife.org.

Spring is just starting, and the center has already admitted dozens of baby songbirds, squirrels, coyotes, opossums, hawks and owls.

The Stanislaus Wildlife Care Center started in 1984 and is completely supported by donations.

The center's new eagle cage is up and can be seen from the front yard.