Hi!
Wanted to let you know about something the Oconee Democrats have
organized at the end of the month: a chance to learn more about and
handle native reptiles and amphibians. Students who are members of
UGA's Herpetological Society will give short presentations on topics
such as hibernation, bringing lots of neat wildlife with them. See the
press release below.
Look out for nature!
Pat Priest
Member, Oconee Democrats
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Turtles and salamanders and snakes! (Oh, my!)
Monday, February 28th
7 PM
Oconee County Library in Watkinsville
Organized by the Oconee Democrats
The bellowing of frogs calling from area ponds is an iconic sign of
spring. But what are frogs and other amphibians doing before they're
roused by longer spans of daylight?
Members of the UGA Herpetology Society will present a free, hour-long
program at the Oconee County library (1080 Experiment Station Road in
Watkinsville) on Monday, February 28th at 7 PM. The group's young
scientists will talk about the marvels of hibernation and describe how
suburban dwellers can set up simple homes for amphibians and small
reptiles in their backyards to provide a little help for animals
increasingly under threat from development and global climate change.
The UGA students are bringing snakes the club's co-president Todd
Pierson described as "tame as a puppy"; attendees will be able to handle
other native herptofauna as well.
Herpetology is the study of reptiles (turtles, snakes, lizards, and
more) and amphibians (encompassing toads, frogs, salamanders, and other
slippery creatures), and Georgia has an astonishing array of both.
These interesting and elusive creatures play vital roles in the
eco-system, but members of the public know little about them and the
steps they can take to help reptiles and amphibians thrive again
throughout the state.
Pierson, a native of Indiana and undergraduate in the Odum School of
Ecology, is writing an honors thesis on a rather newly discovered
species called the patch-nosed salamander. His dad's interest in
fishing drew him outdoors, and he had a pet gecko and other reptiles as
a boy. At UGA, he's one of the driving forces behind the Gameday
Recycling program on campus. He's quite a fine nature photographer as well.
Ashley Rich-Robertson is also interested in salamanders and nature
photography. A 3rd-year Biology major from Iowa, she'll be among
the presenters at the event. She has worked on EPA-funded research as
an assistant in UGA's marine sciences lab.
Co-president Theresa Stratmann will also be on hand at the event. An
ecology major in her second year at UGA, she became interested in
reptiles while volunteering for a loggerhead sea turtle research project
on Wassaw Island, Georgia. That led to a volunteer stint at the
herpetology department at Riverbanks Zoo in South Carolina. At UGA
she's studying the endangered bog turtle for her senior thesis because,
as she said, "I have quite a weak spot for turtles."
Grover Brown, whose e-mail address includes the word "turtles," will
talk about what some turtles do in the winter to survive. A 3rd-year
Ecology major from Cartersville, Georgia, he aspires to work for a
non-profit organization dedicated to conserving endangered turtle
species. He worked this past summer as a sea turtle intern on
Blackbeard Island in Georgia, patrolling beaches from dusk to dawn for
nesting females. He'll be working this summer in the Southern
Appalachian mountains observing the effects of climate change on either
black-throated blue warblers or stream-dwelling salamanders.
Pat Priest, a member of the Oconee Democrats who helped to organize the
event, said, "We hope people will come to meet these committed young
scientists at UGA -- and learn about the fascinating wildlife hidden
away in the nooks and crannies, ponds, creeks, and gardens all around
us." The event is free and open to the public and suitable for families.
For more information, contact Priest at (
patricia.priest@yahoo.com).
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