There are plenty of live wildlife visitors to the Carbon County Environmental Education Center in Summit Hill to see. There are hawks, snakes, turtles and other species, many of them brought here injured and no longer able to survive in the wild.

Then there’s the vast assortment of mounted wildlife, ranging from bears to foxes.

Add another media as an attraction - artwork.

A display of 15 exquisitely detailed animal paintings is being shown at the center by Sharon Schoch of Lehighton, who has been dabbling in art most of her life but undertook it as a serious pastime after retiring in 2012.

The displayed artwork includes paintings of deer in snow, a frog in a reflective pond, a butterfly on a flower, a rabbit, a lion and a tiger.

“I paint all subject matter,” she said, “but mostly animals.”

She said she has done scenery paintings, “but I love to do animals, birds; anything I can find.”

Before COVID-19, she had displayed her work with the Carbon County Art League. “With COVID, nothing has been going on,” she said.

Lori Wolf, a volunteer at the center, made the suggestion to Schoch that she have an art show at the center.

Schoch said after considering it, “I thought kids would enjoy seeing it when they came through.”

Her work comes in all sizes - small, medium and large. She said she did an 18-by-27 seascape for her sister’s birthday.

Schoch, originally from Jim Thorpe, is the former Sharon Highland. She and her husband, Donald, have four children, 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchilden. The children are Josette Deniston of Solomon, Kansas; Holly Schoch of Taylor, South Carolina; Tammy Nelmes of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia; and Robert Schoch of Minneapolis.

The artist said all her paintings at the Environmental Center are from photographs.

Jeannie Carl, naturalist at the Center, said of the artwork, “It’s magnificent. I’m blown away by the talent and the beauty. I thought they were photos. It’s just incredible.”

Schoch said one of the paintings - that of a rabbit - is pastel. The others are oil paintings.

Asked if she had a favorite, she pointed to one she calls “Peek-A-Boo,” a bird looking out from a hole in a tree.

Her husband said his favorite is the deer in the snow.

Carl said the artwork, which is on display is also available for purchase.

To see the display, or all that the center has to offer, visit the center, located at 151 E. White Bear Drive. The building is open weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and weekends, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.