Reptiles at Risk

A chilly week in the East...

Posted by Jeff Hathaway on October 29, 2008 at 7:16 PM

Well it's my first official trip on the road with Reptiles at Risk! It is nice to see the time spent calling and emailing schools translate into actual programs. We are spending the week in Leeds and Grenville County, the home of the longest snake species in the country. Though currently it is hard to believe reptiles even exist here, considering the frigid fall weather. But though the blizzard may try to dampen our spirits, improvised ping pong and tasty cheese will fuel us through the cold nights. And if that's not enough, there's always stimulating conversation with myself while Jeff and Heather sleep in the car.

We have currently reached 6 of the 9 schools we are visiting here, and it has definitely been a rewarding experience. It is amazing to talk to teachers and students who cross paths with Black Rat Snakes on a regular basis. Though nationally rare, there seems to be no shortage of the lengthy serpent in this small neck of the woods. This has also served to highlight the need for this programming, as many of the students have heard of the snake, but few know how to recognize it or why it is important. I definitely get the impression that we are having a positive effect, and changing attitudes for the better.

So, another day and a half to go in Leeds and Grenville, then a weekend to relax before Jeff and Heather head up to the Ottawa Valley to hang out with the Wood Turtles. In the meantime we have the extreme pleasure of staying at QUBS, the Queen's University Biological Station. To call it a research station is kind of like calling the Four Seasons a field camp. Heat, hydro, TV, wireless internet, full kitchen...what more could the RAR team ask for? Sunny weather? Perhaps. But I suppose that whether you're a Canadian reptile or a Canadian reptile fanatic, the snow and cold are an undeniable part of life.

Kyle