Betty 
Although we’ve encountered people trespassing a bit beyond “Area Closed” signs on national wildlife refuges, recently we viewed a woman at least a half mile beyond the warning sign. We spotted this woman as we descended from a hillside after observing and recording wildlife information for the refuge biologist. The chattering of Sandhill Cranes alerted …
“Where can we take our 4-year-old hiking that’s safe?” a young father asked me at a visitor center where Chuck and I were volunteering in Wyoming. After thinking a bit, I recommended a trail that popped into my mind. “But are there a lot of people on that trail?” he asked. “We’d want to be …
“You can come and help out, but I hope you don’t get bored. There might be a lot of down time.” After inviting us to a bighorn sheep capture and collaring, Desert National Wildlife Refuge biologist Lindsay Smythe warned us in advance that we could be disappointed. “Sometimes the sheep don’t come down,” she said. …
For someone who is afraid of snakes, Kim O’Neill fell in love several years ago with our kingsnake, Spike. “When he puts his nose in the crook of my elbow,” she coos, “he’s so cuddly.” [twocol_one][/twocol_one] [twocol_one_last][/twocol_one_last] A receptionist in my brother’s dental practice, Kim took to Spike right away, despite her long-time fear of …
“So what’s your favorite grade level to present to?” We’re often asked this question, but because we don’t have a favorite grade level, we never have an answer. Instead, we have discovered that any age level, any grade, can harbor students eager to participate in learning. The secret ingredient is their teacher. Passion and Attention …
Snake handler Jack Bibby is once again in the news after being bitten for the 12th time by a rattlesnake. Bibby even lost a leg to one of the snakebites, but still continues to wrangle the critters despite his previous injuries and deformities. According to Newsfix, Bibby is next heading to Big Springs, Texas, for …
[box type=”info” style=”rounded”] In an era of “If it’s not on the standardized test, it’s not worth learning” attitude and tight budgets, the benefits of field trips and classroom presentations by experts in their fields have been forgotten or ignored. All too often, the value of a class returning from a great destination and tour …