Hilde the millipede, Gertrude the box turtle, Ludwig the ball python and Dusty the chinchilla were the subjects of an important lesson on the basics of biodiversity at Brookhaven Elementary School.
 
During a visit with New York Department of Environmental Conservation educator David Pomerand, the first-grade students learned the importance of protecting the environment through discussion of animal habitats and behavior. They discussed the characteristics of invertebrates, reptiles and mammals and how their animal guests resembled and differed from one another. The students even had an opportunity to pet the animals.