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Projects For The New Year
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by theemojohnm on January 6, 2011
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Since we've got everyone together, and the garbage that has blown in seems to have subsided, at least for the moment, lets try to stimulate some worthwhile discussion.
So, it's now 2011 and a brand new year.
What are everyone's projects for this year?
For me, I will be finishing the renovation of my herp building for the third (and hopefully last!) time. I also plan to wrap up my Nerodia field assessment survey, and publish by early spring.
I also plan to start working to make one of my life-long dreams reality, and convert the double-wide trailer on the property into a nature/conservation center. I plan on constructing some new exhibits, and converting some of my existing exhibits to house a wider range of herps. Won't be anything too big or elaborate. But, it will give me much more lab space, and the opportunity to focus on a lot more of my conservation and breeding projects, and give me room to work with a wider range of animals. I have been missing working with the lager monitors and constrictors and such, lately, and hope to start some non-snake projects for a change, soon. (Of course, it also gives me an excuse to create an even bigger, better hot room. LOL). This would also give me a facility to take in more of our animal rescues (and nuisance herps from removal calls) until permanent homes can be found, or they can be relocated, as well as a permanent place to host my P.W.H.S. educational programs.
So, during the past few months, I have downsized the collection considerably, so that I have a means to start up some fresh, new projects this year.
I'm hoping that I can accomplish this in the current economy, but I'm confident that I can make it work. Will surely take some time, hard work, and funds, but.. 'there's no time like the present'..!
I also hope to make it down south to do some catching up, and meet many of you, who I have still yet to meet in person. Anyone planning on any herping trips for spring..? I will be working on some fieldwork here in the Northeast, and will be visiting our Northern PA timber dens quite a bit this year. (Barely had any time to last year, unfortunately. =/ ) But I would also like to do some southern herpin' this year, as well..!
So, what is everyone working on/planning this year..? Any interesting projects going on? Do you have any goals set for 2011 ?
Take Care,
-J. Mendrola
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RE: Projects For The New Year
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by varivenom on January 6, 2011
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I will be working with a non profit local zoo to raise the final funds and begin construction of the new state of the art serpenterium! It's very exciting! Also most of my personal collection will be there on display for everyones enjoyment minus certain breeding pairs/colonies. They will be cycled in as avaliable. As well as for development of future herpetologist from the surrounding colleges for research and species knowledge diversification.
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RE: Projects For The New Year
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by varivenom on January 6, 2011
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Serpentarium. Excuse my error.
I am very much looking foward to visiting my favorite dens in my home state of okla. As well as N. and S. carolina. Its been a couple years since I could find the time. No time like the present! This years motto I will try to live by.
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RE: Projects For The New Year
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by Cro on January 6, 2011
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I am hoping to do more field work this year,and will be trying to add to my reptile photo library.
Hopefully, you can make it down south this year John, so that we can hunt some reptiles in the southern swamps.
Best Regards
John Z
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RE: Projects For The New Year
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by theemojohnm on January 6, 2011
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Thats sounds awesome, Tim! I am hoping to do much of the same, and this is the year I should finally be able to do so.
I sure hope so, John! That's the plan, and I should most certainly be able to this year. I'll be going back to work probably late feb., but I will definitely have some vacation time this year. This IS the year that I'm going to get some southern herping in!
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RE: Projects For The New Year
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by Nakita on January 6, 2011
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This Spring I will be wrapping up my 10 year survey on Crotalus horridus populations at several den sites in a nearby county. The past several years have given me hope that educating the locals has made at least a small impact on survival when the animals disperse throughout the orchards and low lying areas for the Summer.
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RE: Projects For The New Year
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by theemojohnm on January 7, 2011
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I have a similar field survey starting this spring at one of our Southeastern PA den sites (Laurel highlands), Jackie.
These are the dens closest to me, and are probably my favorite mountain stretch in the state, a very isolated little population.
Unfortunately, they commonly wander into camp grounds in the hot summer months, and I too have been dealing with many ignorant locals. Hopefully, once our educational presentations start up again in spring, we will be able continue to eliminate much of the ignorance towards the local horridus. In fact, I plan on this region being the focus on our educational program efforts this year. They're just far too incredible to watch be destroyed.
This particular population is small and very fragile. Thankfully, most of the actual den sites are rather far up in elevation, and fairly remote. But, the males wander lower in elevation in the warmer months, and the senseless killing needs to stop.
As most state-governed conservation efforts are a joke, we lone conservationists may be their only hope in the years to come.
Good luck, and happy herping !
Take Care,
-J. Mendrola
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RE: Projects For The New Year
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by CanadianSnakeMan on January 7, 2011
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I'm just working on getting some of the new venomous snakes settled at the zoo. In the spring we're looking at building a new location in a more high traffic area to hopefully attract more visitors. Most of the 'easy work' will be building the pens for the outdoor animlas... the reptile house on the other hand will probably be the most intricate and challenging project, especially because it must have a 'hot' room.
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RE: Projects For The New Year
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by Rob_Carmichael on January 7, 2011
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Now that the community timber rattlesnake exhibit is established and up and running, I'll be focusing a lot of my efforts at our zoo on beefing up our signage (on a low string budget) in addition to making some significant exhibit improvements to our King Cobra and Bushmaster exhibits. Thankfully, I've got a great marketing gal who is doing some wonderful work with the signs and the City has loosened up some funds to make some nice exhibit improvements. I'm wrapping up a large herpetofaunal survey that I was contracted out to do and once that's completed this coming spring, I can switch gears over to a fox snake and garter snake study I'm actively involved with.
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RE: Projects For The New Year
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by theemojohnm on January 7, 2011
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Fox snakes sounds really cool, Rob !
I also think that the garter snake work would be very interesting! I keep garters from all over (I know, who keeps garters, right?) and think they're awesome. I live in a particular area where we have eastern, and short-heads, that interbreed like it was going out of style. I find the most remarkable garters in my own back yard. Sure, many of them are 'muts', but I've come across some very interesting and beautifully colored ones. We also have Butler's garters, which are NOT 'supposed' to be in the state, at least not in my particular corner of PA!
I also try to obtain many of the species in the western and southern parts of the country. I just think of garters as one of the first snakes I've ever come across as a young kid, every herpers childhood favorite. And, it's kind of cool to see what the garters from other states are like, compared to the easterns that I grew up catching.
The garters remind me a lot of the Nerodia in regard to their variability (both behaviorally and physically), and adaptability.
I don't care how many hundreds of the darn things I've seen, garters are cool little colubrids, and that sounds like an awesome study!
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