Lion’s share of learning

What happens if you covered your arm with a bag of Crisco oil and stuck it into a bucket filled with ice? You would feel nothing, like a sea lion in the cooler waters of the North Pacific. Do you think you can get yourself out of an alligator’s mouth? Well, too bad because at 3,500 pounds, the force of its bite is equivalent to that of a car landing on top of you.

Those are some of the things that Glendale resident Anne Beckner learned while preparing for the L.A. Zoo’s World Music Night on Tuesday evening, which focused on animals from all over the world.

Beckner is the grade-level advisor for the National Charity League’s Glendale chapter, which is a volunteer organization for mothers and daughters. The chapter participated in an educational project, which took place during a special concert at the zoo, organized by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn.

“I love the zoo,” she said. “It’s just such a huge resource for people in our city to come and enjoy animals in their natural exhibits and habitats. Everyone can be a kid again.”

During the evening, two sets of mothers and daughters were appointed to a specific station with a docent, who further educated visitors on the ecology, taxonomy and conservation of the respective station. Moms and their daughters will also help educate visitors Friday at “Classic Rock Night,” a concert featuring animals and music native to California.

The theme for this year’s chapter-wide project runs as “Where the Wild Thingz Are.” The class of 2012 chose to work in conjunction with the association as their charitable project for this year.

“We chose the zoo because our chapter has never done anything like it before. It’s fun and interesting,” said Montrose resident Rebecca Avanesian, 15, co-chair of the league’s events committee.

Rebecca’s favorite thing about volunteering at the zoo is getting to see all the animals multiple times during the month, she said. She is the co-chair with Glendale resident Ali Beckner, who helped out with the face-painting booth.

“We were painting little girls’ hands,” she said. “It’s fun because I met a girl who was Russian, and I’m Russian. I like that. I get to meet people who might share the same interests or the same background as mine.”