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NEW BERN, N.C. (May 30, 2012) — The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is conducting a “Snakes in North Carolina” workshop in Craven County for anyone 16 years and older who is interested in learning about snakes found in coastal North Carolina.
The free workshop will be held at Cool Springs Environmental Education Center on June 29 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. It will begin with a classroom presentation on conservation, basic biology and habitat requirements of snakes.
In the afternoon, workshop participants will have the opportunity to search for snakes outside the education center, which sits on approximately 1,700 acres of forestland along the Neuse River, about six miles upriver from New Bern.
Jeff Hall, a biologist with the Commission, and Mike Campbell, an educator with the Commission, will conduct the workshop. Hall is a herpetologist with the Commission, as well as coordinator of the North Carolina chapter of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation — a partnership dedicated to the conservation of reptiles, amphibians and their habitats. Campbell is an education specialist for the Commission in southeastern North Carolina.
Both have a passion for snakes and both enjoy teaching others as a way to pass along that passion and promote the conservation of these often-maligned and under-appreciated animals.
More than 30 snake species are found in the coastal region, according to Hall. Workshop participants can expect to find a variety of snakes, he said, based on past workshops conducted at the center.
“Although we never know for sure what we’ll find, Cool Springs offers excellent habitat for a wide variety of snakes, such as black racers, water snakes, southeastern crowned snakes, scarlet snakes and possibly Eastern king snakes,” Hall said.
The “Snakes in North Carolina” workshop is limited to 20 registrants. It qualifies for Component II of the N.C. Office of Environmental Education Certification, and educators attending the workshop can receive one CEU credit.
For more information about the workshop or to register, contact Campbell at 252-670-0090, mike.campbell@ncwildlife.org.
For more information about N.C. Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, visit www.ncparc.org.
A high resolution version of the photo above can be accessed here. Please credit the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.