Get Smart

Study up on the slithery banana slug at Northwest Trek this weekend by taking a few classes in "slugology." There's slug bingo, a slug hunt and even a course on slug-friendly backyard habitats. And for recess from slug school, don't miss the human slug races, where you, too, can don a slug suit complete with slime.

"Something that a lot of people don't understand is that banana slugs are actually good for our environment," said Cherilyn Williams, spokeswoman for Slug Fest. "They're decomposers that help chew up leaves and animal droppings and dead plants and get them back into the soil."

Tickets $5-$12. At 9:30 a.m.-5.p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, 11610 Trek Dr. E., Eatonville. 360-832-6117.