July 31, 2002     Los Gatos, California Since 1881 The Prowler Being a cat who favors the outdoors, the Prowler enjoys climbing a good tree. It so happens that one of this cat's favorite trees is the topic of a kid's class being held by the Wild Bird Center on Aug. 1 at Belgatos Park in east Los Gatos. The class, titled Oak Adventures, lets kids get up close and personal with some of our native oaks as they learn how the trees live and what types of animals depend on them for food and shelter. Kids ages 3 to 5 meet from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.; ages 6 and older have their time from 3 to 4 p.m. The last class for the center's summer series is called Meteor Mania and will be held Aug. 5 and 8—depending on kids' ages. Again at Belgatos Park, the outing will prepare kids to view the Perseid meteor shower later in August. They'll also conduct experiments to study what comets are made of. The cost for all classes is $10 per child. For reservations, call 408.358.9453. Speaking of children, who frequently ask their parents to let them have a pet, this cat's friends at the non-profit Humane Society of Santa Clara Valley (HSSCV) are holding an open house on Aug. 8 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the society's Santa Clara headquarters. The open house includes education booths, shelter tours, refreshments and a raffle with sales benefiting the HSSCV's Special Needs Department, which consists of three full-time employees who manage the organization's foster care, adoption partner, wildlife and exotic programs. For directions or more information, call 408.727.3383 ext. 878. Incidentally, the Prowler wonders how many folks know that the HSSCV is the largest shelter on the West Coast and cares for approximately 40,000 animals each year!