Our friends from the state Department of Environmental Conservation stopped by Giffen Memorial Elementary School on Monday to set the record straight about some often-misunderstood local critters.

Through a fun and lively discussion, second-grade scholars discovered how bats, crows, spiders, snakes, bears and coyotes – all native New York creatures – play important roles in keeping our local ecosystem healthy.

Afterward, the young scientists got hands-on, examining and touching a variety of cool animal artifacts.

Visit our Facebook page to see photos from the lesson.