By Amy Oprean
Special to The State News
It seemed as if animals had gotten the first tour of Potter Park Zoo's Wonderland of Lights display after their footprints were captured alongside visitors' footprints in fresh snow on Wednesday night.
"I think the animals get psyched," said Susan Owens, docent at the zoo for more than 16 years. "It's nice to wander around the zoo at night because you get to see all the nocturnal animals.
"The lights are so beautiful that you see the zoo in a totally different light."
The display featured a path lined by electric light sculptures resembling owls, giraffes and penguins, as well as the Disney/Pixar film character Nemo. The display, which began on Wednesday, will be open from 5 to 8 p.m. now through Dec. 31, excluding Dec. 24-25, at Potter Park Zoo, 1301 S. Pennsylvania Ave., in Lansing.
The kickoff marked the start of the zoo's collection for donations for Toys for Tots in conjunction with the U.S. Marine Corps.
"It's a good way to get into the spirit of giving at Christmas time," Salvation Army Maj. Alice Scott said.
Lansing has always been a very generous city, said Lansing Mayor Tony Benavides, who took part in the opening night ceremonies.
"I feel very fortunate to have people with this kind of dedication and vision," said Benavides, who said he has been a guest of the light display's opening ceremony for three years and has been involved with Toys for Tots for 22 years.
The event is one of Lansing's biggest assets, he said, which brings a good portion of the community together to socialize.
As part of the event, hissing cockroaches and Pygmy hedgehogs are featured in live animal demonstrations every Sunday and Monday. Other activities include Story Nights from Thursday through Saturday evenings at the zoo's indoor education center, and cookie decorating on Tuesdays.
Zoo veterinarian Tara Harrison and her husband Scott bundled up their daughters Helena, 2, and 2-month-old Cecilia, to see the display and make crafts. Scott Harrison said the display is the perfect place to bring children.
"They like all the bright lights and stomping through the snow, and there is always something new to see around every corner," he said.
The event has changed greatly from its humble beginnings, Owens said.
"It was just cookies and cocoa when we started," Owens said of the zoo's first Wonderland of Lights more than a decade ago. "The first year we bought the decorations."
In the years following, docents learned how to make the electric animal sculptures themselves, with guidance from docents at the Toledo Zoo. Since then, more and more sculptures, created by the docents, have been added to the display every year, Owens said.
The display is possible because of the docents' love for the zoo, said Diane McNeil, executive director of the zoological society at Potter Park.
"Most of what is done here is done by volunteers and you're not going to find those people everywhere," she said.
The event is not only an attraction for children, McNeil added. Her favorite displays are of a peacock and a moving fountain. Different communities in the area each host a night, with marching bands, Christmas carolers and other musical guests to draw adult visitors.
"The lights and music put you right in the spirit," she said. "This isn't a place to be in a bad mood — or at least it won't last long."
