Mural, Painted By A Young Local Artist, Just One Of The Cool Features Of Mr. Drew’s New Place In Poland, ME

This past April, popular Maine-based natural science educator and wildlife rescue guy, Mr. Drew, was told he'd have to move his Nature Center from a storefront in the Lewiston mall area to elsewhere, as the building was going to be used for something different.

Within a month, Drew had a bite on what seemed to be an even better setup in the town of Poland. The space was a 10K square foot store, formerly the Family Dollar location at the Poland Crossing Plaza off Route 26.

Read More: Popular Animal Exhibition Moving To Permanent Location In Poland

All through the summer, Drew and his team worked tirelessly (while still appearing at speaking engagements and demonstrations across the state) to put together the new place.

It's been a work in progress for many, many months, and all that effort has finally paid off.

The new location of Mr. Drew and His Animals Too Education Center and gift shop quietly opened in October, and already it's the talk of the town.

According to his recent social media posts on Facebook, the new spot looks amazing, and was husting and bustling with folks who had the day off for Veterans' Day.

Just take a look!

Aside from the many live animal enclosures, there's one very special animal feature, a giant mural located in the facility's 'Quiet Room'  that was painted by a local 14-year-old on the Autism Spectrum.  Zoey Hersom, is her name. A fan of the facility, she grew up in South Paris and loves to draw and sketch. When approached by Drew with the invitation to try her hand at a mural, he said she "did not hesitate and did not disappoint!"

According to Zoey's bio, art has always been her favorite way to express herself.

"Her artwork now brightens the space and celebrates her love for both art and nature.
As a young artist on the autism spectrum, Zoey sees the world through a unique and beautiful lens. Her passion, focus, and creativity shine through in everything she makes, inspiring those around her to see the joy and color in every day."

As much as he and his team seem to have been embraced by the community in Poland, Mr. Drew, as he did during his time in Lewiston, too, is working hard to help the people who have so graciously welcomed him with open arms.

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He's holding a year-round food drive, right at the education center, collecting non-perishable items for the local food bank in Poland, which serves 3 towns.

"We will take in food seven days a week from 8 am to 5 pm year-round and deliver it to the Poland Community Food Bank (serving Poland, Mechanic Falls, and Minot), and as a thank you, we will give you a discount off your admission."

Admission to the Mr. Drew and His Animals Too Education Center is just $10 per person, with gift cards available.

The Education Center is open 7 days a week from 10 AM to 4 PM. Their retail/gift shop is open 9 AM to 5 PM.

You can find more information about the new facility and the organization's mission by clicking here to visit their website.