Georgia’s Rattlesnakes recieve more protection from rattlesnake roundups!

Posted on by Stevo

Check out the article below about a Georgia Rattlesnake Roundup that was once a gruesome mass murder of wild caught rattlesnakes becoming a wildlife education and conservation event!  Way to go Georgia!  Thank you for protecting this amazing creature through the promotion of wildlife conservation events and activities!    

http://separc.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/support-georgias-rattlesnake-and-wildlife-festival-march-10-11-2012/

Read more about it here:

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=946679e7fe51bbf81ce578cc1&id=be2d1c5253&e=

and here

http://www.claxtonevanschamber.com/display.php?cid=9&pid=28

Snake Education at ENP!

Posted on by Stevo

Just yesterday Karen and Celina took King the Eastern Kingsnake out into the warm late winter sunshine to meet some visiting kids!  King is one of our education ambassadors and he and our other education snakes have helped change many peoples minds on why snakes are not a creature to be killed on sight, but a very beautiful and beneficial part of a healthy earth.

Check out this pic from the encounter!

Soon, as the warm days of spring arrive,  snakes will be coming out of hibernation and movi9ng about fields, forests and gardens.  If you see a snake please do not harm it.  Please marvel at it’s beauty and thank it for helping keep rodent numbers in balance.  Without snakes we would be overrun with mice, rats and other rodents that when they overpopulate they can spread disease and  eat our crops, gardens and granola.  If you are unsure of a snake that you see just try to take a photo of it (from a safe distance of ~4-5 feet) and send it to me and I will be happy to attempt to ID it for you. Have fun out there!

Spotted Salamander Egg Masses at the Earthshine Nature Center!

Posted on by Stevo

A few days ago I was hiking in a remote forest with some friends when I came upon an ephemeral pond that was almost dry.  In the pond were several egg masses of the Spotted salamander.  Due to lack of rain over the last few weeks the water had already receded below many of the egg masses and it was only a matter of time before the remainder of the egg masses in the small pond were above water as well.  I decided to rescue a few of the egg masses and attempt to hatch them in the nature center to give some of the salamanders a chance at life.  I was able to retrieve 5 of the masses from an area where the water had withdrawn leaving them 1/2 submerged and 1/2 exposed to the air.   I took them back to the Earthshine Nature Center and placed them in an aquarium with clean, still water.  The larval salamanders are developing quite quickly and hopefully they will hatch soon and I will be able to release them into the amphibian pond at Earthshine.  Take a look at one of the egg masses below! I will keep you posted on their progress.

New Caecilians discovered!

Posted on by Stevo

Recently several new species of legless amphibians called Caecilians have been discovered.  Below are a couple of amazing photos of a female guarding her eggs from the article that can bee seen here.

Check out this incredible video of the discovery!

Be sure to read the full article at National Geographic for more amazing photos and the full story!

The Beauty of Pollination from TED

Posted on by Stevo

This is an absolutely beautiful video that my friend Alan shared with me. It is a must see for everyone because not only is it beautiful to the eye but it also shows the intricate connectedness that all life shares. Without all cogs of the wheel the web of life will fall apart.  Protect and cherish all life.

Winter at the Earthshine Nature Center

Posted on by Stevo

Take a look at a few of the most recent photos of a few of the inhabitants of the Earthshine Nature Center waiting out the winter.

The first one is of Indi the Blue Tongue Skink basking under her new full spectrum sun lamp that was donated by Nature Center volunteer Amy Lord–THANK YOU Amy!  I cannot think of a better way to spend the winter than flat out like a lizard basking.

Now check out Hayward the Gray ratsnake resting in one of the Ratsnake Skyway tubes–isn’t he a beautiful snake!

Take a look at Fiona–our newest snake–a beautiful Royal Python (aka Ball Python).  She was donated to us by Savannah from the WNC Nature Center in Asheville, NC.  THANK YOU Savannah!

And here is Gandalf the Canebrake rattlesnake resting under his log.  (sorry about the dirty glass.)

Check out Penny the Copperhead in her cave.

Finally there is Gollum the Eastern Hellbender who is squeezed into his favorite notch in the rocks.  It looks like his is uncomfortable but Hellbenders love to jam themselves in tight crevices–it makes them feel secure.

If you would like to visit all of the animals in the Earthshine Nature Center please drop me an email and we can schedule a time for a visit.   –Steve

Digital Detox at Earthshine Mountain Lodge…and Earthshine Nature Programs

Posted on by Stevo

Check it out!  WLOS TV recently did a story called Digital Detox that featured Earthshine Lodge and the Earthshine Nature Center!  Potter the Opossum and Fiona the Ball Python were the lucky Nature Center critters who got short spots in the story–watch the entire story here.