Reptiles at Risk: On the Road is an outreach education project which will to spread important messages of reptile conservation in places where species at risk reptiles are actually found. We target specific locations and deliver exciting, hands-on programs featuring live animals. These programs have proven effective in increasing knowledge and positive attitudes about these creatures and their conservation.

This project is a partnership between Laurentian University, the Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network, and Sciensational Sssnakes!!

This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk. This program is funded in part by NSERC PromoScience. Assistance for this project was provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources of Ontario.

A very snowy week!
Posted by Jeff Hathaway on February 2, 2008 at 6:47 PM

This past week, Jeff and Crystal have been based in Orillia wrapping up a myriad of funding proposals as well as tallying school surveys from weeks past, and doing half a dozen programs. Our surveys are looking great- it's rewarding to see how much the kids are paying attention and what they really take home from their experiences with the snakes.

The winter programs have presented some additional challeneges, with snow days and inclement weather conditions. Our Bobcaygeon school program was on a snow day on Wednesday, so we decided to include all students that were present rather than limiting ourselves to the older grades. It was a welcome suprise for all of the younger children! That day finished at Curve Lake First Nation with a community program in the evening, after doing the school in the afternoon. We talked to the Right and Resources Commitee, and members of the community, about species at risk in the area and were complemented by a presentation on
critical habitat by a Parks Canada representative as well. It's a nice change to talk to adults after working mostly with children for the last couple of weeks. It's great to see that the adults are just as keen when learning about the animals as the younger people!

Steve and Robin also had some weather issues, with a school in Waterloo being cancelled on Friday, and some nasty roads on the way home for Steve. Robin got to stay behind in Waterloo, since Friday was her last day of work for the Reptiles at Risk on the Road project. We wish her well with her future endeavours!

The Grand River, Part 2
Posted by Jeff Hathaway on January 30, 2008 at 4:16 PM

Steve here again...

Tuesday had Robin and I in Cambridge, right near the Grand River- home of several species at risk reptiles. We arrived at the school at about 8:30 and by the end of the day had interacted with 252 kids from grades 4-8! WOW! What a day!! We had an amazing time, as the school was filled with really enthusiastic and well behaved kids, and an awesome organized faculty! All of our pre-presentation surveys were completed and waiting for us as we arrived. The whole day was absolutely positive! Hopefully the rest of our week here will be as awesome!

Steve and Robin along the Grand River...
Posted by Jeff Hathaway on January 30, 2008 at 4:14 PM

Steve here! Quite the contrast from last week! Instead of being on the Canadian Shield with Crystal, this week, I'm in the Carolinian Zone with Robin. No snow storms and no broken down vehicles! We're staying at Robin's boyfriend Andrew's house for the week, so we're based in Waterloo, deep in the city nestled between Quizno's and one of the fanciest looking LCBO's I've ever seen! From here we'll radiate out all week to smaller towns in the area. Here at the house
there are 9 people living all tucked away in individual apartments. Most of them are engineering students at Waterloo University. They were really receptive, and quite thrilled to get their own private snake show!!

Our first school was in Fergus, and was mostly younger kids, grades 3-6. It was really FUN! The kids were great, and we got lots of stories of rattlesnakes at Killbear Provincial Park, and at the cottage!