The gift shop at Georgia Southern University's Center for Wildlife Education will reopen today after a month of interior restyling and renovations.

The grand reopening will take place from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. with refreshments and hors d'oeuvres, along with free admission to the Wildlife Center for the public.

Auxiliary Services, Georgia Southern's award-winning in-house services provider, worked with the Wildlife Center to revamp and expand the boutique. The revitalized interior includes a vibrant color palette, custom fixtures adorned with crawling creatures and a 7-foot-tall faux tree and eagle's nest.

"In its new incarnation, the gift shop will offer Wildlife Center visitors a unique and one-of-a-kind Statesboro shopping experience," said Carlita Slatky, the University Store director.

The new interior revisions add whimsy and will ignite the imagination of any visitor or child. The boutique's growing merchandise assortment offers watermelon-flavor worm lollipops, light-up snails and reptile kickballs.

"This makeover emulates what a visitor would experience at the Wildlife Center through the eyes of a child. The colors are exciting; the merchandise is over-the-top," said Holly Berry, a University Store buyer.

The Wildlife Center is located on Georgia Southern University's campus at 1461 Forest Drive, Building 240 and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday. For more information, call (912) 478-0831 or visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu/wildlife.