BEAUTIFUL BIRDS, FAVORITE ART

Stapleton Ballet will present Swan Lake on March 30 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. at the Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags, in San Rafael. The cast includes more than 100 young dancers from the school along with professional guest artists. General admission tickets are $37, students and seniors are $23. Find tickets at tickets.marincenter.org/eventperformances.asp?evt=64. Stapleton School of the Performing Arts is one of the Bay Area’s largest nonprofit performing arts institutions. In addition to dance classes, the school offers theatre classes and presents musicals throughout the year. For information, visit stapletonballet.org.  -Photo courtesy of Stapleton Ballet

A Black-crowned Night heron (above) was recently admitted to WildCare’s Wildlife Hospital with a severely fractured femur. This heron was fortunate that WildCare’s veterinarian, Dr. Juliana Sorem, has been working to master the techniques of orthopedic surgery on birds.  The heron was an obviously healthy bird laid low by an accidental injury, which made him an excellent candidate for this surgery. After successful surgery and rehabilitation, the heron was released back to his natural habitat. For more information about this heron’s remarkable recovery, and other wildlife stories, visit discoverwildcare.org.  -Photo by Alison Hermance

Art lovers Jerry Reilly and Ellen Desmond (above) discuss their impressions at the opening reception of “Artists Favorite,” the latest exhibition of art put on by the Marin Society of Artists in downtown San Rafael on March 8. Each artist was asked to put forth their own personal favorite art work, giving the exhibition a closer look at each artist. Approximately 100 visitors attended the show on its opening night and helped raise $1,300 for the event. The show exhibition will run through March 30. Find information about this and other upcoming exhibitions at marinsocietyofartists.org.   -Photo by John Benet