Annual auction focuses on trips abroad

African safari, Mexican getaways and tugboat trip through the North End all up for bid at event.

LITTLE BOSTON — Fancy going on safari in Africa and snapping photos of the local wildlife? Or perhaps fishing in a sleepy Mexican town is more tantalizing, especially during this suddenly snowy winter.

These trips and more can all be found at the Stillwaters Environmental Center, available during its third annual art auction.

“We’ve made huge leaps in the quality and size of our items,” said Stillwaters administrative director Naomi Maasberg. “The whole atmosphere is true to who we are, but we’ve stepped it up a notch with some of our trips and items. We’ve got items that fit with our mission, and things in all price ranges.”

The biggest bids will be placed on the trips that the organization is showcasing, including a six-day photo safari in Africa, a five day trip to Barra, Mexico and a four-day trip to a resort in Los Cabos, Mexico. Those packages should stir the traveling juices of many auction-goers in the area, Maasberg said.

“The trips are bigger than the last two years,” she said. “They are really, really cool. We’ve also got wonderful small things as well, like wine baskets and gift certificates for people looking for gift ideas this season.”

“There really are a lot of cool items up for bid,” said food committee member Nancy Hahn. “It’s hard to say which items I might bid on. There’s this tugboat trip that I might bid on. I’ve got kids, and I know they would love it. It would definitely be fun to do.”

The boat trip will be four hours long and will include a picnic lunch, Maasberg said. There will also be a lunch with Kitsap County Commissioner Chris Endresen, an adopt a Woodland Park Zoo penguin package, winery tours, garden tours, artwork from local artists and gift baskets up for bid.

The money will go toward funding Stillwaters’ projects and providing classes and programs through the center, Maasberg said.

“You can show support for Stillwaters a couple of different ways,” Hahn said. “You can bid on something tangible that you can take home, which is kind of fun. Or you can donate money to something specific, where you’ll know that the money is being used for what you want it to be used for.”

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