SPANISH FORT, Ala. — Youngsters interested in learning a little more about Baldwin County’s indigenous red-bellied turtle—and a host of other varieties—will have their chance Saturday at 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center.

“Alabama Turtles,” part of the environmental education center’s Saturday Class Series, will not only teach kids in kindergarten through third grade about the world of turtles; canteen clerk Kellie Cuhaj said a “red-bellied release” is part of the program.

“We’ve got four or five to release,” said Cuhaj.

Alabama’s red-bellied turtle is found in only four coastal counties: Baldwin and Mobile in Alabama and Harrison and Jackson in Mississippi.

Cuhaj said the free class will be taught primarily through crafts—including the making of bracelets and a turtle bank—before students are introduced personally to 5 Rivers’ resident turtles.

Of course, Saturday’s class is by no means the only opportunity to meld learning and the outdoors at 5 Rivers.

Sunday’s free matinee in Tensaw Theater from 2 p.m. until 3 p.m. is “The Civilian Conservation Corp,” and the next installment of Story Time comes Tuesday with the reading of “Sweet Briar Goes to Camp.”

The center’s popular “Gators After Dark” tour will again set sail from 7:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Saturday as part of the expanding Saturday Adventure Series.

Assistant Manager Shonda Borden said the center has several new adventures planned in coming months including an Oct. 3 history class that explores the culture of Native Americans that once lived in the heart of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta.

“The Bottle Creek Indians were moundbuilders who had a thriving civilization from 1,000 A.D. to 1500 A.D., and they were an epicenter of trade for the Mississippian Indian culture,” Borden said.

More immediately, a beginners’ bird watching course will be offered in September.

“For those interested in learning the basics of bird watching, we will feature a class dedicated to all the ins and outs of how to tell a warbler from an egret, what to look for, and what to take with you when out in the field,” Borden said, noting participants will then test their new skills on a boat tour of the lower delta.

“Don’t worry; there won’t be a written exam,” she said.