About this Blog: Within the pages of this blog Earthshine Nature Programs’ naturalist Steve (aka “Science Steve” to some of you) will keep you updated on the many projects and programs that we are involved in.

About Earthshine Nature Programs (ENP): ENP teaches nature knowledge,  awareness and conservation through our unique and exciting on site and outreach education programs to people of all ages.  Our past and current programs include:

Turtle Tracks (past program) is a unique wildlife conservation,  research, and environmental education program that is studying the Eastern Box Turtle.  Between spring 2008 and fall 2016 we monitored several wild box turtles with mark-recapture and radio telemetry techniques in order to learn more about their seasonal movements, habitats used, habits and interactions with humans and our domestic animals.  During this study we had the great pleasure to take hundreds of Earthshine Lodge visitors and Steve’s Trails Science students on Turtle Tracking hikes in the wilds surrounding Earthshine Lodge.  We shared our adventures and findings with the world via posts on this blog in the form of photos, videos, and maps of the turtle’s movements.  For more information on the Turtle Tracks project scroll back in time within the pages of the blog to read my earlier posts and follow in Turtle Tracks!

Timber Rattlesnake and Black rat snake Tracks, like Turtle Tracks,  these projects were also a wildlife conservation,  research and environmental education programs but they followed the trails of two Timber Rattlesnakes and two Eastern rat snakes (aka Blacksnake or Black rat snake).  These projects ran from 2012 and 2018 and like Turtle Tracks we followed them for several years in order to learn all possible about their travels with the goal being to educate you on the interesting, beautiful, and greatly misunderstood life of these wonderful animals.  We also posted many updates on their travels in this blog in the form of photos, videos and maps.   For more information on the Snake Tracks project scroll back in time within the pages of the blog to read my posts and follow in Snake Tracks!

Earthshine R&R is an Eastern box turtle rescue and rehabilitation program that provides care and a home for box turtles and other reptiles that have been injured due to encounters with humans and their machines, lost their homes due to habitat destruction, were former pets whose origins are unknown and also those animals whose  injuries do not allow them to be released back into the wild.  Non-releasable animals become residents of the Earthshine turtle enclosure and educate people on the value and beauty of these wonderful living jewels of the forests.  Learn more about the R&R program by visiting our website.

Outreach Programs.  Earthshine Nature Programs will bring our animals to your school, camp, birthday party or other organization in the Western North Carolina community.   A sample of our programs include: reptiles and amphibians, turtles, snakes, endangered species and wildlife conservation, keeping reptiles and amphibians as pets and our new indigenous music program–The Nature of the Didgeridoo.

The Nature of the Didgeridoo: This is a unique program about the ancient Australian Aboriginal musical instrument the Didgeridoo.   The Didgeridoo literally has its roots in the nature of the Outback of Australia and the sound and story of the Didgeridoo is unique and unusually beautiful and a must for all to experience.  Steve will bring his Didgeridoos to you, tell you a part factual and part mythical story about the creation of the worlds oldest woodwind instrument while demonstrating how to play and then everyone will have the opportunity to construct their own bamboo didgeridoo to take home.

Earthshine Nature Programs is a not for profit organization and a separate entity from Earthshine Discovery Center.  All donations to ENP are tax deductible.  Our staff is volunteer so 100% of all donations are used to cover the operating costs of our in house and out reach education programing, wildlife conservation projects,  animal care, wildlife rehabilitation work and equipment costs.

About Naturalist Steve:

Steve is from Hendersonville, North Carolina.  He spent his early years chasing snakes, lizards and salamanders all over the mountains of North Carolina.  During his college years Steve studied wildlife and fisheries management and recreation management as well as zooarchaeology.

Before discovering Earthshine Steve worked in many interesting positions at many well known private, state and national parks, private inns, camps and farms some of which include: The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Hammocks Beach State Park, Chimney Rock State Park, Falling Creek Camp for Boys, Flat Rock Nature Center and Little Saint Simons Island.   His job titles have included seasonal park ranger, back country trail ranger,  interpretive naturalist, camp counselor, nuisance black bear, wild boar and rattlesnake trapper (no snakes were ever harmed) and aircraft mechanics assistant.

Steve’s passions are reptiles and wildlife conservation and public nature education.  He was greatly inspired to follow his dream of working with wildlife in his early years first by his parents Catherine and Clayton O’Neil who gave him a love for all things natural and real.  Later Steve was influenced by Marlin Perkins and Jim on Wild Kingdom, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Sir David Attenborough, Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, Grizzly Adams, Marty Stouffer’s Wild America, Harry Butler Down Under, Joe Duckett, Charlie Green, Steve Irwin “The Crocodile Hunter,” Les Stroud, John Rucker, and most recently Captain Paul Watson of The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Jim Hardy, and Bob Harris.

Steve has conducted hundreds of nature and wildlife presentations to thousands of children and adults over the years.  He has lead many camper groups of youngsters and adults into forests, mountains, caves, swamps and dunes in search of all things and all places wild and wonderful.  Steve is a volunteer wildlife rehabilitator specializing in reptiles and Opossums.  He also put in hundreds of volunteer hours keeping track of not only the several turtles and snakes he has studied, but also for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s Nongame-Endangered Wildlife program monitoring reptiles and amphibians and bats.

Steve edits this blog and hosts a Youtube.com site where he posts all of his nature videos.

Find us on Facebook at Earthshine Nature Programs.

Learn more about our friends over at Earthshine Discovery Center.