Gulf Branch Nature Center & Park, located at 3608 N. Military Road, Arlington, is giving local children between the ages 10 – 13 a chance to care for wild animals with its Keeping Mini-Beasts! program. The three-month program starts on Friday, Jan. 6 from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Children will gather at the nature center to learn about how to care for a new animal each month and then take home that animal to care for it for a month. After a month, they return to the nature center to learn about a new animal and continue the cycle.

The first animal that children will learn about and care for are leeches. The program will conclude in the spring with tadpoles. The registration fee for the program is $30, which will cover all three sessions and everything the children need to care for their animals throughout the sessions. For more information, call 703-228-3403.