New Member Intro + Question

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MCHerper
Posts: 443
Joined: September 22nd, 2012, 6:13 pm

New Member Intro + Question

Post by MCHerper »

Just got the confirmation e-mail for my account and wanted to come on and say hello. I've been lurking on this forum for over a month, and I've learned a lot reading through past threads.

I've been doing some form of herping since I was a little kid. Some of my earliest (and fondest) memories are from catching frogs, turtles, seeing the occasional snake, etc.

I didn't do any herping once I turned about 12, until a few years ago when my oldest son (almost 5 now) took an interest in nature, being outside, and checking out what's under the logs. The interest came back and it has really taken off.

One cool benefit of what I have been photographing, observing and learning about is that I get to share some of this with my students. I am a high school science teacher and I teach a chemistry course that is interdisciplinary and has a good deal of ecology and environmental science in the curriculum. I enjoy sharing the photographs of different species with my students and letting them know that our state (NJ) has a tremendous amount of biodiversity. I never collect specimens, or give locations where specimens are found. Even though they are only seeing the pictures, they take an interest in learning more about these species. They are often surprised at what is practically right in their backyard, and I feel that it's effective to put a face to what we are talking about conserving.

If I may, I did want to ask a question of the people who have the experience here. As my interest (and my son's interest) in herping continues to grow, I wanted to ask if people would please share any advice that they may have about doing this so that there is the least amount of disturbance to the species' habitat. I feel that it is a great teaching tool for my son and my students, but I am sometimes concerned that I am impacting some of the species that I observe while rolling over logs and stones. How can I do this with the minimum of impact on the species?

Also, I live in Mercer County, NJ. If anyone knows of any groups or herpers/naturalists in the area who I could learn more from, it would be tremendous. I am interested in learning more about different sites to observe species and take photographs, but I also realize that I am new and that it may be the case that people want to get to know me before sharing sites, and I respect that.

Thank You!


MCHerper
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Mike VanValen
Posts: 2074
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 4:41 pm
Location: Connecticut
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Re: New Member Intro + Question

Post by Mike VanValen »

MCHerper wrote:.

If I may, I did want to ask a question of the people who have the experience here. As my interest (and my son's interest) in herping continues to grow, I wanted to ask if people would please share any advice that they may have about doing this so that there is the least amount of disturbance to the species' habitat. I feel that it is a great teaching tool for my son and my students, but I am sometimes concerned that I am impacting some of the species that I observe while rolling over logs and stones. How can I do this with the minimum of impact on the species?
Hi MC, and welcome to the Northeast Chapter. Your question and concern is a good one, and, indeed, something even us long-time herpers often struggle with. The idea of capturing and observing wild amphibians & reptiles is thrilling and sometimes we lose track of the importance of preserving habitat. There are a couple rules of thumb to keep in mind.

1. Always replace cover objects, natural and artificial - The microhabitat under these objects often takes months or years to develop. The moisture levels underneath are important to reptiles and especially amphibians. Nothing makes me angrier than seeing rocks torn out of the ground and piles of shingles strewn all over the place.

2. Some spots are best left undisturbed - There are certain habitats that are best left alone for a variety of reasons. For example, the timber rattlesnake is a highly sensitive species that can alter it's behavior after too much disturbance. Rolling rocks around near a timber den is unnecessary (not to mention illegal in some states). Other sensitive areas such as bogs and vernal pools also don't need our boots trudged through them. The herp species that can be seen in these areas can be observed without disturbance with a little...

3. ..Patience - Sit and enjoy the habitat. This is a great time to talk to your kids and teach them about the ecology of the area. With patience often comes reward, such as a box turtle coming out to pluck worms after a warm spring shower, or a watersnake weaving around a lake margin. Often, herps will cross your path without a care in the world if you're quiet enough.

I'm sure others will add to this, but it's a good starting point.

Mike Van Valen
Vice President
NAFHA Northeast
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kyle loucks
Posts: 3147
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 1:40 am
Location: Pennsylvania- Bucks Co. near Phila.

Re: New Member Intro + Question

Post by kyle loucks »

There are several of us that live within a stones throw from you.
Kyle
Bucks Co. Pa
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ZantiMissKnit
Posts: 1037
Joined: September 14th, 2012, 9:43 am
Location: Boston area, MA

Re: New Member Intro + Question

Post by ZantiMissKnit »

Welcome! I'm fairly new to the Northeast Chapter as well, and hope that I can add some input of value.

It's a good idea to put the log or rock back first, then release the animal next to it so it can crawl back underneath. That way you don't risk rolling the log/rock onto the animal and harming it.

It's better to leave a rock than try to lift something that is too heavy to handling. In addition to hurting yourself, you always run the risk or dropping it on whatever is underneath.

Keep your tetanus shot up-to-date, especially if you are flipping tin and wood containing rusty nails. I know this has nothing to do with preserving habitat, but cuts do happen, no matter how careful you are. I also carry some hydrogen peroxide in a spray bottle to clean out wounds, along with cotton squares and bandages.

I agree with Mike VanValen in point #3. I have had many moments where just sitting quietly has led to some incredible photo ops. Most recently, we were next to a small dam and I said, "I bet if we sit here for a few minutes, a water snake will come by". Less than a minute later, this happened:

Image
DSCN1058 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr

A few years ago, another quiet moment led to a garter checking out our backpack and my knitting bag:

Image
100_4532 by ZantiMissKnit, on Flickr

I think it's great that you are going to teach your son about herping respectfully. Herping with kids can have some great rewards -- for one, the difference in height can really help find more animals (my husband and I have nearly a foot height difference between us and one of us will see many things others don't).
MCHerper
Posts: 443
Joined: September 22nd, 2012, 6:13 pm

Re: New Member Intro + Question

Post by MCHerper »

Thank you very much for your input! I really appreciate learning from people with more experience!

Kyle, that is good to know! Do folks ever get together as a group?

I'm working on figuring out how to resize pics from shutterfly to post them.
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