Wealth and Health from Venom
Venom can kill. It can also make money and, more importantly, save lives. “Why is venom, filled with deadly toxins, now a leading contender for lifesaving drugs on so many medical fronts?” asks PBS documentary, Venom, A Production of NOVA and National Geographic Television. What…
Guest House
Settling down was far from our minds after only seven years on the road fulltime RVing. Living on and volunteering for national wildlife refuges for the past few years has instilled in us a love of open spaces inundated with wildlife. But when we found…
Biodiversity
“I remove rattlesnakes from my property myself,” a neighbor told us. “In two pieces!” Recently we purchased a small home on two acres in a rural area near Tucson, Arizona. Because we chose the property for its native vegetation and wildlife that it attracted, we…
Letter from a Teacher
Letters and emails from teachers and students please us immensely. We have received posters created as thank yous by students we’ve visited. We have received picture books produced by teachers and students of our programs at school or field trips to a refuge. We have…
Sharing Nature with Kids
Reports show that kids these days don’t get outdoors enough and explore nature. So when we were asked recently to take two boys on a hike in the remote desert, we were glad to oblige. Terry and Diane Moilanen, whom we met through our…
Searching for Snakes
Most people don’t go looking for snakes, particularly venomous snakes. Most people especially don’t want to encounter one. On the other hand, we seek them out – but not always successfully. Recently, our friend Bryon Shipley, long-time rattlesnake researcher and Denver Zookeeper, visited us at…
Snakes as Stress Relievers
“I can’t stand to even look at a snake!” a visitor to the Plains Conservation Center in Aurora, Colorado, once assured me. But within 15 minutes, after I had convinced her to actually hold the kingsnake I carried, she changed her mind as the snake…