We were notified that the Rattlesnake Rescue Video was selected to be posted on NPR’s Talk of the Nation/Science Friday website! For those of you who are fans of the show (Friday’s at 2pm EST on WFAE 90.7 in Charlotte), you know that they often request “science related” videos from listeners for their website. We weren’t sure the Rattlesnake Video qualified as a science vid, but we submitted it anyway and were thrilled when we were contacted by the show’s producer for permission to post the video. Of course, in this day and age, nothing is that easy, so we had to contact Loye and Sam, the stars of the video to see if they would be willing to sign a release allowing NPR to use their images and names on their site. Neither one of them hesitated and we all sent our releases in promptly! Not only is it totally cool to have our video posted on a national, dare I say “international” site, but more importantly, we are hoping that the exposure will educate others on how important snakes are to the eco-system and will make people think twice before they kill one. You may have already seen the original video (at right in VodPod), but check out the video on the SciFri website. Its been edited for length and also has a “never before seen” shot of the snake for a different vantage point that wasn’t included in the first video.
My hometown newspaper, The Lake City Reporter, ran a great article on the snake rescue. Todd Wilson, Editor, spoke with Loye Barnard, one of the rescuers and an avid conservationist in North Florida, and wrote a great piece on how everything—plants and animals—has a purpose in nature. We were delighted that Todd mentioned Smell Like Dirt and I hope if anyone from Lake City visits this site, they will post a comment. If you haven’t seen the the Rattlesnake Rescue Video, check it out on the VodPod listing on this blog. And for you Lake Citians, there is also a great video of the Ichetucknee River in case you haven’t visited it recently. Hopefully you will be inspired to go kayaking!
Melinda Johnston is helping us spread the word with a great article on our website in today’s Charlotte Observer. Stay tuned for more wildlife videos from Fla and make sure you check out the Rattlesnake Rescue video we posted when we got home last night!
We are back from a week of wonderful kayaking at the Ichetucknee Springs State Park in North Florida. We had a great time and saw some wonderful wildlife. We will be posting a lot of new videos in the coming weeks about our trip and some of the interesting things we saw. We had not anticipated the encounter with the Diamondback Rattlesnake in this video, but that’s what makes getting out into nature so much fun. You never know what to expect. Most of this was shot on our last day of vacation, so we’re beginning with the end, but I think you will enjoy it. Its the largest rattlesnake I’ve ever seen and to have a part in its rescue from being trapped in a fence was a great experience. Special thanks to Sam Cole and Loye Barnard for their assistance in freeing the snake. We did not get the name of the 3rd person in the video, but he was a nature lover, so our thanks go out to him as well.
Stay tuned for more videos, but in the meantime, enjoy this snake encounter!
"In Spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." --Margaret Atwood.
I believe we are losing our relationship with nature and with it, the understanding that how we live impacts the world around us. This blog will explore ways to reconnect to nature: Gardening with native plants, creating a haven for wildlife in your backyard, tips on living green and fun ways to experience our abundant natural resources. Its time to get outside! I smell like dirt, do you?
Smell Like Dirt 