14 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • April 2021
Karen Brace, on the cover with her educa on possum, Stuart, has been a
licensed wildlife rehabilitator in Virginia since 2012. She started off working only
with squirrels and groundhogs and then, in 2016, someone brought her a box
containing 11 of the cutest li le opossum joeys ever. It was love at first sight.
Since then, she has been on a mission to rid the world (or at least Virginia) of the
misconcep ons and misinforma on that surround the only only na ve marsupial in
the U.S and Canada.
She is licensed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Virgina
Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VADGIF). She also gives wildlife presen-
ta ons around the Fredericksburg, Virginia area. Look for Stuart and his friends at
the FredParent Fun at Freddy's Wednesdays at 3 pm during July and August 2021.
For a schedule of upcoming wildlife presenta ons, including Earth Day at Freddy's,
and Tuesdays at Hurkamp Park in May and June, visit FredericksburgParent.net.
On the Cover
and Around Town
Photos taken by M&JPhotography. View more of their work at: facebook.com/mandjphotos • @melissajennphotography
Models include from top le photo: Stuart the possum; Teddy Johnson and Karen Brace holding Stuart.
Group images from le : Jackson Bain, Karen holding Stuart, Violet Hall, Amber Bain and Teddy Johnson. Photos taken at Old Mill Park.
Possums!
Since our mascot is a marsupial, (Pouches is a kangaroo),
Fred Parent is celebra ng marsupials in April with a coloring
contest for our readers. Just color in another of Karen's possums,
LouLou, on page 15, take a picture and upload it to the coloring
contest photo gallery at fredparent.family/possum. We will choose
a random winner on April 30th to receive a $75 card to PetSmart
and some awesome possumz swag.
WRITTEN BY LEIGH ANNE VAN DOREN
