ANDREA GALABINSKI A new groundhog is being introduced to the Shell Factory Nature Park this week. Baby Mona is pictured with handler Richard Dunmire.

The Shell Factory Nature Park has a special critter making an early debut.

A new baby groundhog named Mona has arrived in the area, and will be raised and trained for one of the Shell Factory & Nature Park’s biggest events – the annual Groundhog Day celebration.

Her official debut will be Tuesday, Feb. 2, when she will officiate the Shell Factory’s annual Groundhog Day celebration.

“She’s a real relative of Punxsutawney Phil – a direct decendent,” said Richard Dunmire, director of education for the Nature Park Foundation and president of the Inner Circle for the event in North Fort Myers.

“We’re an official chapter of the Punxsutawney Club,” he noted.

Groundhog Day is a nationally celebrated event that is near and dear to his heart. Dunmire grew up in Punxsutawney, and even had a groundhog as a pet when he was a child.

“Last week I made a 2,400-mile round trip to pick her up,” Dunmire said of his journey to Pennsylvania to bring Mona here.

During the official ceremony, Mona and Phil will emerge from their respective homes in Florida and Pennsylvania. If they see their shadows and return to their holes, the prediction is six more weeks of winter. If they don’t, the prognostication, as it is called, is that spring will arrive early.

For the last five years, Dunmire, his wife Sandra and local community leaders, technically known as “The Inner Circle,” have played hosts of the fun. The circle has included Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott, Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marietta Mudgett, Lee County Commissioner Tammy Hall, Deputy Director of the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau Tamara Pigott, local Real Estate Developer and Shell Factory owner Tom Cronin Sr. and his wife, Pamela J. Cronin.

One of the highlights of the event is the local group dressed in their “southern tuxedoes” – top hats, cumberbuns and shorts.

The town of Punxsutawney celebrates its day on Gobbler’s Knob; the Shell Factory, at its Nature Park. The ceremony here will be at approximately 7 a.m.

What will Mona be doing to prepare for her big day?

“Most of her time is spent leaning groundhogese,” said Richard.

She’s now 12 weeks old and roams the Dunmire home. Sandra reports that for now, most of Mona’s day involves eating and play.

“For her activities, she plays with Jack the cat” Sandra said. “She eats raw cabbage, spinach and broccoli. Her desserts are bananas, nuts and an occasional potato chip or cracker.

“And she tops it off with her bottle,” Richard added. “She’s not off the bottle yet, she won’t give it up.”

She does consult with older cousin on the tradition, he said.

An interesting fact: The Shell Factory choose a female groundhog to officiate their ceremonies, versus the male tradition of Punxsutawney.

“Because women are allowed to change their minds. It’s their prerogative,” Dunmire said. “And there has never been a woman on the Punxsutawney Inner Circle in Pennsylvania, but here, women are a big part of the festivities.”

Remember to mark your calendar for next year’s celebration, which is always held Feb. 2. Look for future announcements including a preview or pre-event party tentatively scheduled for November.

It may take some time to get Mona used to her new digs, and as a baby, she may not be on display at the park until a later date.

But there are plenty of other animals there to see. The Nature Park is located on the southwest corner of The Shell Factory complex. For more information, call 995-2141.