Finding new homes; Silent auction is Saturday at the nature center
Published 10:21 am Friday, March 31, 2017
- A variety of taxidermy animals will be on the silent auction at the old interpretive building at the Jay C. Hormel Nature Center. Deb Nicklay/deb.nicklay@austindailyherald.com
Those hoping for stuffed turkey may find what they want at the old Jay C. Hormel Nature Center’s interpretive building.
No, not that kind of turkey.
This turkey is one of a handful of taxidermy animals that nature center staff hope will find a new home after a silent auction Saturday. The building is headed for demolition after the opening of the new interpretive center, which will open in April.
Nature Center Director Luke Reese checks out the “tree door” that will be up for sale during the silent auction on Saturday. The door was part of the early childhood area of the old interpretive center. Photos by Deb Nicklay/deb.nicklay@austindailyherald.com
“Some items are ones we couldn’t find a place for in the new center,” said Director Luke Reese. Others have been overly loved, shall we say, by children visiting the center. Still other items will head back to original owners, who had loaned the items to the nature center.
The disposition of the items is controlled by state statute, Reese said. While game animals can be given away, other non-game items cannot and so, have to be sold.
Other items in the center will be placed on the silent auction beginning at 9 a.m.
And there are plenty of those — especially for anyone needing items for an office. There are multiple filing cabinets, two full corner desks and lots of book shelves.
This stuffed turkey may raise some interest at the auction.
One that might spark interest is a very long, conference room oak table with what look like mission-style legs. While it needs some refinishing, “it is a really nice table,” Reese said. “It could be used as a dining table, if you had a large enough room.”
For young families, there are several small chairs on the auction as well as probably the more unusual item on the sale: “The tree door,” Reese said, which was located in the early childhood area.
And, that’s just what it is: A door fashioned as a tree trunk, complete with a hole through which little kids can pass. There is also a rock collection for sale.
Other items of interest are a safe, two refrigerators, toilets, sinks and lots of chairs.
The bidding will close in stages, at 11 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. Coffee and hot chocolate will be served for a donation during the auction.
Winning bidders are responsible for moving their items out on Saturday or between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Monday, April 3.
