God has made us different, he made us so unique. We slither on the ground, we have no hands and feet. Though you find us scary, or maybe just plain weird, our intentions are not to hurt you or cause you such great fear. Our venom's not meant for humans but to help us when we eat. So, please stop the senseless killing before we're all extinct. We're not saying you have to love us or tell us we're the best. God's the one who created us. So, treat us with respect.
written by Sarah Clark for Southeastern Reptile Rescue
Fears are educated into us and can, if we wish, be educated out. -Karl A. Merringer
The snake is an animal. It has a backbone and a heart. It has red blood. It drinks water and eats food. It breathes air and feels fear just like every other animal in the world. And, it's in a body that's the hardest thing for the average person to understand. (author-unknown)
Featuring venomous and non-venomous snakes of Georgia including king snakes, rat snakes, corn snakes, copperheads, cottonmouths and rattlesnakes that are all found right here in our own backyards as well as exotics that may be held for photo ops. Also available are our American alligators.
Participants are given an opportunity to have an upclose and personal encounter with snakes that live right here in their area. They will be bombarded with as much practical information as possible about snakes that will help them better understand this wonderful but often misunderstood creature such as venomous snake identification and how to avoid a bite but what to do if you are bitten. You can tell someone what a copperhead looks like but seeing one live and in person really leaves an impression.
Free pamphlets are made available after each performance which answer many other questions about snakes including venom and how it works, venomous snake identification, mechanics of a rattlesnakes rattle, Guide to a Snake Free Yard and first aid in case of a snake bite as well as snake verses dog bite statistics in the United States.
Southeastern Reptile Rescue is actively involved in community education and has many programs available that will suit the needs of your organization. From animal control agencies who may come into contact with snakes on a regular basis to Fire, EMS and Law Enforcement departments who just want to broaden their knowledge and awareness of reptiles in case of accidental exposure in the line of duty. Of course, we also specialize in school programs from pre-k to high school and even colleges. Our goal is to bombard our participants with as much practical knowledge as possible regarding everything from snake identification and handling to what to do if you are bitten. Classes are conducted with live venomous and non-venomous snakes, alligators and tortoises.
Southeastern Reptile Rescue was started over 10 years ago in an effort to rescue snakes that had no home or were in danger of being destroyed. To be most effective in our quest, we realized early on that education of Georgia's snakes was the key to making an impact. People by nature are often afraid of what they don't understand and so the snake is perhaps the most hated and misunderstood of all of nature. When we finally get a person to accept a snake and begin to appreciate them as a part of nature then everything else falls into place making it easier for them to appreciate and care for the rest that nature has to offer.
Recently, I had the pleasure of observing a seminar presented by Jason Clark of Southeastern Reptile Rescue to Clayton County Water Authority employees.The information that Mr. Clark shared during this presentation was absolutely awesome.He was able to educate over 100 of CCWA employees who all ranted about how great the session was.Many even expressed the desire to learn more about reptilian creatures and that this was the best presentation they'd ever been to.
The knowledge shared made even the scariest of individuals, chiefly myself, a little less fearful of snakes.I encourage more organizations and the public to attend a seminar from this organization as you are sure to walk away with something to talk about.
Many thanks to Jason and his staff for a job well done!!
Fears are educated into us and can, if we wish, be educated out. -Karl A. Merringer
