It is hard to see over the horizon when you spend your entire existence at ground level. It is even harder to get around without arms and legs. Throw in some really scurrilous posts from the book of Genesis and you have the makings for a tough life. It would help to get someone on your side to aid in your survival and that is exactly what the folks at Advocates for Snake Preservation do.
The acronym is ASP, and yes, that had to be pointed out to me.
On Friday, March 7, ASP paid a visit to the monthly Potluck Presentation at the Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch of the National Audubon Society. The potlucks, given on the first Friday of the month from January through May, happen in the meeting room at Ranch headquarters, located beyond the Babacomari Ranch and just northwest of the Huachuca Mountains.
These are primarily educational affairs where everyone brings a covered dish, their favorite beverage and their rapt attention. After eating and socializing the attendees are presented with a college-level PowerPoint talk on the subject for that month. The lectures are always brief, very interesting and followed by a Q&A session. There is no test.
March’s presenters were Melissa Amarello, the Executive Director, and Jeff Smith, the co-founder and treasurer of ASP. The outfit is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that subsists on small donations from individuals. Melissa and Jeff are conservation biologists who met at the University of Arizona and joined forces to promote compassionate conservation. Melissa currently resides, and does her work, in Silver City, New Mexico. Jeff manages the Mule Shoe Preserve, northwest of Willcox.
Their collaboration grew out of work that they did together on field projects that studied how human land use impacted reptile habitats. Think golf courses and housing developments.
According to Melissa they started ASP in 2014 “to help wildlife in the face of habitat destruction,” and “to show people what snakes are really like.” Their method for snake education takes a multi-faceted approach. In addition to PowerPoint presentations, ASP has a website, produces videos for their YouTube channel, and posts on Instagram. Melissa also coordinates the production of a newsletter, ‘The Buzz,’ from which I learned that “Most female rattlesnakes who reach adulthood reproduce only every other year. They gestate for months, bear their young live, and care for them after birth.” Females have even been observed to leave their babies in the care of other females while they take a break from a shared den.
To learn more about all kinds of snakes, and to see what snake sitting looks like, go to the Advocates for Snake Preservation YouTube channel. To learn more about the work that Melissa and Jeff are doing, and to contribute to their efforts, contact Melissa at: mel@snakes.ngo. To see what else may be coming up at Appleton-Whittell visit their website at researchranch.audubon.org or call (505) 983-4609.
Keith Krizan can be contacted at therealkbkkbk@gmail.com