GRAY – Local artists will supervise and instruct at a Wildlife Chalk Art Contest from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, at the Maine Wildlife Park. There will be a short introductory drawing skill demonstration emphasizing wildlife. Each participant will be assigned one square yard of blacktop on which to create his or her work of wildlife art. The artists will encourage and advise the kids as their work progresses.

Every participant will receive a wildlife track card and poster for their efforts, but there will be a first prize of a $10 gift certificate to the park Nature Store for each age class (ages 4 to 5, 6 to 7, 8 to 9, 10 to 11, 12 to 14); and a grand prize of a 2006 wildlife park family pass for the overall winner. Chalk will be sold at the nature store, or participants may bring their own. Rain date Sunday, Sept. 4.

This is the last of the regular summer series of wildlife exhibits and demonstrations targeted for the public and offered throughout the season at the park.

The final event in the Night Visit series will be offered on Friday, Oct. 14, the popular “Halloween Night Hike,” from 6 to 8 p.m. (rain date, Saturday, Oct. 15). The Wildlife Park Nature Store is redecorated and will open with a variety of wildlife-oriented gifts and merchandise for all ages; and the Friends of the Maine Wildlife Park Snack Shack sells ice cream, soda and light snacks, with all money raised donated to the Wildlife Park for wildlife exhibit improvements and new construction.