THE BAY AREA AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE SOCIETY

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2008 GENERAL MEETINGS
2008 General Meetings
July 25 Native Herps & Hot Snakes
Aug. 22 (TBD)
Sept. 26 (TBD)
Oct. 24 (TBD)

2008 Activities & Events

July 26 Jurassic Pets Extravaganza
Aug 9/10 San Jose Reptile Show
Sept 27 North Bay Herp Society BAZAAR
Oct. 4 Emma Prusch Farm Park
Oct. 5 Alum Rock Wildlife Festival


Previous Shows & Events

- Sulphur Creek Wildlife Fair
- Pepperwood Herping Trip
- Earth Day Celebration
- Pinnacles Campout
- Farm Fun Fest
- Wildlife Education Day
- Wildlife Conservation Expo
- Palo Alto Junior Museum
- River Harvest Festival
- Happy Hollow Show
- Day Hike at JD Grant Park
- Healthy Kids Day
- California's Native Herps
- IRBA Show
- Frog Day 2004
- Special NCHS Event
- Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley
- Cheetah Conservation Foundation


Last updated: July 19, 2008

General Meeting
July 25th (Friday)       Agenda:  Native Herps & Hot Snakes

The guest speaker at our July meeting will be Al Wolf, founding father of the Sonoma County Reptile Rescue. Al will talk with us about native reptiles, and especially about local rattlesnakes. Since Al does rattlesnake relocation, he is sure to have several live specimins to show us.

In the spring when the weather starts to warm up, Al may get 5-10 calls a day to relocate these serpents from people's gardens to more remote locations. In addition to relocating rattlesnakes, Al rehomes other types of snakes, iguanas and turtles and tortoises.

Al Wolf at the Sonoma County Reptile Rescue Sanctuary
Al Wolf at the Sonoma County Reptile Rescue Sanctuary

Like many BAARS members, Al has been a lover of reptiles since childhood. He has an extensive background in reptile care, animal husbandry, and conservation, including working with the San Francisco Zoo, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom, Animal Planet, and Louise A. Boyd Museum of Natural History. Al is currently the director of the Sonoma County Reptile Rescue, and has recently been involved with filming for a British television series, "Animal Rescue Squad".

For more than seventeen years, the Sonoma County Reptile Rescue, a non-profit rescue and sanctuary located in Sebastopol, has been working to promote responsible reptile care and wildlife conservation. Its primary goals include education, rescue, rehabilitation, and adoption. Many types of animals are housed at the sanctuary, including native and non-native snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, amphibians, and even bison and quail. In addition, they do native reptile (think rattlesnake) removal and relocation. At the sanctuary they care for individuals from all 7 rattlesnake species native to California.

Bring a friend and check us out.
Visitors are always welcome - You don't have to be a member to attend.

Friday, July 25th at the Cubberly Community Center in Palo Alto.
Doors open at 7:30PM; meeting starts at 8:00PM.

General Meeting
August 22nd (Friday)       Agenda:  To be announced

General Meeting
September 26th (Friday)       Agenda:  To be announced

General Meeting
October 24th (Friday)       Agenda:  To be announced


 
 
Top of Page 2008  ACTIVITIES & EVENTS

Jurassic Pets Extravaganza

Jurassic Pets, 925 S. Main Street, Salinas, CA
Saturday,  July 26, 2008   9:00am - 5:00pm

Jurassic Pets is a fairly new pet store in Salinas which features reptiles and amphibians and the supplies needed to provide a healthy environment for these unique animals. This store is committed to education and support for the herp enthusiast in order to help new owners as well as veteran herpers have a positive experience with their new pets and provide the best possible care for those pets. It is for this purpose that BAARS will have a table at this event.

So come check out some exciting animals - talk to a BAARS member - watch a demo - get a free product sample from ZooMed or one of the other vendors. Who knows, you might just go home with a prize.

Contact:Tony Velez   avelstude@earthlink.net.

San Jose Reptile Show

Santa Clara County Fair Grounds, 344 Tully Rd. San Jose, CA
Saturday,  August 9, 2008   10:00am - 5:00pm
Sunday,  August 10, 2008   10:00am - 4:00pm
Reptile Show

There is sure to be a large variety of herps at this show - snakes, turtles, geckos, frogs - as well as carriers, enclosures and other accessories for all your reptile needs, all at discounted prices. In addition, there will be many knowledgeable prople to talk to and answer your reptile questions. BAARS will have two tables for educational purposes.

Contact:Scott Alexander  

North Bay Herp Society BAAZAR

Herzog Hall, Petaluma Fair Grounds, Petaluma, CA
Saturday,  September 27, 2008
Reptile BAZAAR

Come see and buy a variety of captive bred Reptiles, Amphibians, and Arachnids. Also for sale are books, cages, and all your reptile-keeping supplies!

Contact:Eric Koessel   erickoessel@yahoo.com.

Emma Prusch Farm Park Harvest Fair & Exposition

Emma Prusch Farm Park,
647 South King Road in San Jose, near the intersection of Highways 280/680 and 101.

Saturday,  October 4, 2008   9:00am - 4:30pm
http://www.pruschfarmpark.org

The Emma Prusch Farm Park, once a working dairy farm, still has a number of historic buildings and structures in the midst of fruit orchards, community gardens, lush, green lawns for picnicing, and even a small farm animal enclosure. The Harvest Fair and Expo will feature a "mini county fair" theme. Events will include a corn maze, pumpkin patch, exhibits of local school and 4H projects, cooking demonstrations, exhibits of preserves and canned goods, winter vegetable plant sales, farm animals to pet and see, many environmental and conservation displays, and all day entertainment. BAARS members will bring some reptiles which visitors can pet and observe. BAARS has become one of the most popular exhibitors at this show.

Alum Rock Park WildLife Festival

Alum Rock Park in San Jose, CA
Sunday,  October 5, 2008   11:00am - 4:00pm
www.ysi-ca.org

This is YSI's (Youth Science Institute's)  22nd Annual Wildlife Festival.  This is a huge show, with approximately 2,500 people attending.  Many wildlife groups are invited to this event, and most will be happy to explain how they serve wildlife.  BAARS has been one of the more popular groups in the past, and will need a number of BAARS members in order to address the curiosity of the public about our reptiles & amphibians.

Wildlife Festival Flyer

Contact:Scott Alexander   charles.s.alexander@verizonbusiness.com.


 
 
Top of Page PREVIOUS SHOWS & EVENTS

Sulphur Creek Reptile Show

Sulphur Creek Nature Center, 1801 D Street, Hayward, CA
Saturday, July 12, 2008   11:00 am to 3:00 pm.
http://www.haywardrec.org/sulphur_creek.html

This year, BAARS will be hosting a reptile show at the Sulphur Creek Nature Center in Hayward, CA. BAARS members will have a variety of reptiles and amphibians on display, and will be available to talk about their animals, their handling and their special care needs. Come check out some frogs, pet a 50 pound tortoise, or experience a close encounter with a very large snake. The Sulphur Creek Nature center is a great place - it's nestled in a creek-bed, so that you get the feeling of being in the country, but it's surprising close to down-town Hayward.

Contact:Pete Marshall   PMarshall@calwater.com.

Pepperwood Field Herping Campout

Pepperwood Ranch Preserve, Sonoma County
Saturday-Sunday,   March 29-30, 2008
Friday-Sunday,   June 6-8, 2008
About Pepperwood Preserve

Because of popular demand, BAARS is planning two field-herping trips to Pepperwood this year: one in early spring, and a second in late spring. Both outings will be held at the 3,117 acre Pepperwood Ranch Preserve. It should be interesting to see the difference in the animals that will be found in the different seasons. The Pepperwood Ranch nature preserve is now operated by the Pepperwood Foundation, with a mission to preserve this beautiful open space in its natural state for current and future generations to enjoy and study.

Pepperwood, located in Sonoma County, north of San Francisco Bay, between the Sonoma and Napa Valleys, features incredible views and rich biodiversity, including nine different plant communities and a variety of native reptile and amphibian species. Lodging will be in cabins with bunk beds, electricity, and a complete kitchen.

Sign-up is a must for these events, and there is a $10.00 registration fee to hold your place.

Pictures from a Pepperwood herping trip
More great pictures from Pepperwood

Contact:Eric Koessel   erickoessel@yahoo.com.

Earth Day Celebration

Westwind Barn, 27210 Altamont Road, Los Altos Hills, Ca.
Sunday April 20, 2008, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

BAARS will be participating in an Earth Day Celebration hosted by Westwind Barn. A BAARS member will be giving a presentation on reptiles at the show. Atleast two dozen groups are expected to participate.  A special attraction will be the "Live Wild Cats" education program by Leopard's Etc.

Contact:Scott Alexander   salexander@totality.com.

Pinnacles Field Herping Campout

Pinnacles Campground (At the east side entrance of the Pinacles National Monument)
Friday-Sunday,  April 18-20, 2008

BAARS is planning its annual field herping event at the Pinnacles Campground for April 18-20, 2008. We will have campsites for Saturday night, right outside the National Monument. This should be a great time of year to go to the Pinnacles, since it tends to get too hot and dry in the middle of the summer.

The campground has showers and bathrooms with hot and cold running water, a convenience store and a swimming pool, so this really can't be considered "roughing" it. We use the campsite as a base of operations, with day and night hikes where the main activity is herping (which is restricted to catch and release, of course). The Pinnacles has a lot of diverse herp fauna compared to what you see around the Bay Area, including whiptails, coastal horned lizards, and even California Legless Lizards.

Sign-up is a must for this event. Also there is a $10.00 registration fee to hold your place.
More information.

Contact:Eric Koessel   erickoessel@yahoo.com.

Second Annual Farm Fun Fest

Westmont High School,
4805 Westmont Ave., Campbell CA.

Saturday,  Mar 1, 2008   11:00am - 4:00pm

Westmont High School, in Campbell, CA. presents a varied educational environment. It even has a Future Farmers of America (FFA) agricultural program with a farm that serves as the life science lab where students get hands-on experience raising animals like pigs and lambs, even steers. On March 1st they will be holding their Second Annual Farm Fun Fest. BAARS members will be present at this event with a variety of reptiles to show, ready to answer questions about the animals and the specialized care that they require.

Palo Alto Junior Museum

Palo Alto Junior Museum, 1451 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto, CA
Saturday,  August 18, 2007   10:00am - 5:00pm

The Palo Alto Junior Museum has been a sponsor of BAARS for years, and we continue to maintain a close relationship with them. On Saturday, Aug 25, BAARS will have an opportunity to show its appreciation for the museum's support. A number of BAARS members will have their pets to show, and be available to answer questions and discuss the proper care and special needs of their animals. There will be snakes, large and small, various lizards, and a number of turtles and tortoises. Mr. Rob Steele, the museum's curator of animals, said that they always love having us do our live animals shows.

Audubon Society's 16th Annual Wildlife Education Day

McClellan Ranch Park, 22221 McClellan Road, Cupertino, CA
Saturday,  October 20, 2007   10:00am - 2:00pm
Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society

The Audubon Society's  goal is to raise the awareness of children and adults about local environmental and wildlife issues by offering live presentations, booths, and displays....  Make a bird feeder; build a bird house. Other activities will include:  an early morning bird trip, a wildlife poster contest for school children, a scavenger hunt and a raffle. BAARS members will be in attendence showing a variety of reptiles to see and touch. They will be happy to discuss the special care that these animals need and to answer any questions.
Check this out , for additional information, including photos, informational flyer and directions, when they become available.

Contact:Scott Alexander   charles.s.alexander@verizonbusiness.com.

River Harvest Festival

Cotton Auditorium, 500 North Harold Street, Fort Bragg, CA
Saturday,  July 21, 2007   10:00am - 10:00pm
River Harvest Festival Flyer

This event will be the first annual fundraiser for the National Reptile Foundation / Reptile Show and Dance. BAARS will have a table with educational information as well as several animals to show. The event will also include music, dancing, food, a raffle and silent auction. Come join the fun and help the National Reptile Foundation get off to a good start.

MISSION: To help Humans & Reptiles become intergrated into each others lives in healthy positive way for both parties
~ The Humans & The Reptiles.

Draco is the Ambassador for the National Reptile Foundation.

Contact:Dianne Flagg   dlcf_herps@yahoo.com.

2006 Wildlife Conservation Expo

Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA
Saturday,  October 7, 2006   10:00am - 6:00pm
http://www.wildnet.org/expo2006_weekend.htm

The Wildlife Conservation Network will be holding its 2006 Wildlife Conservation Expo on October 7, 2006 at Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA. This year's Expo will feature speakers from several wildlife conservation groups, including Dr. Laurie Marker (Cheetah Conservation Fund, Nambia), Dr. Jim Sanderson ( Small Cat Conservation Alliance), and Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton (Save the Elephants).

The Expo will also feature exhibits of local and national wildlife organizations, including the amazing wild cat ambassadors from Leopards Etc. Browse beautiful wildlife art and gifts. BAARS will be presenting live animals at the Expo.

For more information, a list of exhibitors and a schedule of speakers, please visit the Wildlife Conservation Network website.

Happy Hollow Park and Zoo Educational Reptile Show

Happy Hollow Park in San Jose, CA
Saturday September 16, 2006,   11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

This has been a fun venue which we've done since April, 2001. Happy Hollow is an accredited Zoological institution with a lot of cool animals. Luckily, they have both a park side and a zoo side, which eliminates some quarantine issues. BAARS educational shows are held on the Park side, so go to the left at the main entrance, then follow the sidewalk down to the right.
This is a great show to participate in if you don't know what to expect or are new to educating the public about your animals. It is always a fun show, with steady, enthusiastic crowds of both adults and kids.

Contact:Scott Alexander   salexander@totality.com.

Herping Hike in JD Grant County Park

Joseph D. Grant County Park
18405 Mt. Hamilton Rd., San Jose (Off of Mt. Hamilton Rd. and Alum Rock Ave.)
Saturday, May 13, 2006   2:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
JD Grant Park   -   Activity Details

BAARS will be having its annual herping hike in JD Grant County Park, on Saturday, April 15 from 2-6pm. It will be led by Tom Harrison, a long-time BAARS member who has a special interest in and extensive knowlege of native Amphibians.  This year, because of the unusual weather, a second hike has also been scheduled. Being a month apart, there will be a different set of animals available to see.

These hikes will feature a visit to 2 vernal ponds to look for amphibians, especially eggs and larvae.  Be prepared to walk in water, and have some nets and containers for viewing what you catch. We will also be looking under rocks on the way, for lizards and snakes.  The hike to the first vernal pond is down a hill, but only a short distance. The second pond is about an hour hike away, and involves hills.

This event will be cancelled/rescheduled if it rains since the trails get slippery when wet.

Contact:Tom Harrison   tom_wb7vje@yahoo.com.

Palo Alto Family YMCA Healthy Kids Day 2005

Palo Alto Family YMCA Gymnasium
3412 Ross Road, Palo Alto, CA
Saturday April 2, 2005, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.

This should be a fun show... more information coming soon.

California's Native Herps

Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
1751 Grand Boulevard (off of Zanker Road in Alviso)
Saturday April 2, 2005, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge (DESFBNWR) spans 23,000 acres of open bay, salt pond, salt marsh, mudflat, upland and vernal pool habitats located throughout south San Francisco Bay. While the refuge is primarily known as a critical habitat for migrating and resident birds, some 30 reptile species, and 14 amphibian species also call it home, including the San Francisco garter snake.

The San Francisco Bay Wildlife Society will be hosting an event at the Environmental Education Center(EEC) of the DESFBNWR, located at 1751 Grand Boulevard, off of Zanker Road in Alviso:
10 - 11am Hike around EEC led by BAARS
11am - 2pm Animals on display inside EEC
12:30-1:30pm BAARS Presentation in the EES auditorium:
"California Native Amphibians and Reptiles"

For more information about DESFBNWR, including driving directions, visit their page on the Fish and Game's website at http://desfbay.fws.gov/. For a view of the habitat and information on trails around the Education Center, check out http://www.bahiker.com/eastbayhikes/dewf.html on the Bay Area Hiker website.

IRBA Show
San Mateo Expo. Center, 2495 S. Delaware St, San Mateo, CA.
http://www.irba.com.
Nov. 13, 2004 (Sat) 10-5;   Nov. 14, 2004 (Sun) 10-4

On the weekend of Nov. 13-14, 2004, the IRBA (International Reptile Breeder's Association) will be having a show in San Mateo, CA.   This is one of the larger commercial reptile shows in the Bay Area. While we usually make a practice of avoiding commercial shows, at this show BAARS will be manning a table encouraging responsible husbandry and habitat conservation. So, if you're going to the show, stop by our table and say "Hello".
Frog Day 2004
San Jose, CA
http://www.frogday.org/
May 29, 2004 (Saturday)   9AM-4PM

The American Dendrobatid Group will be presenting the 9th Annual Frog Day in San Jose, CA.
Featured speakers will include:
10:00 am Tim Paine   "Get out there: Herp to learn, teach to conserve"
11:00 am Dennis Sheridan - Independent Photographer/Adventurer   "Frogs and Lizards of the World"
1:00 pm Julie Bergman - Gecko Ranch   "Phantastic Phelsuma"
2:00 pm Ron Harland - Back to Nature Filtration   "Panamanian Rainforest"
In addition to the guest speakers, there will be atleast 25 animal and plant vendors offering magnificent captive-bred animals, terrarium supplies, and all things amphibian for sale. If you are into amphibians, or just want to see some fascinating creatures, then this is an event you won't want to miss. Cost is just $5 at the door, children under 12 are free, and parking is also free. What a bargain!
Northern California Herpetological Society Event:
The Holiday Inn, 5321 Date Ave, Sacramento CA.
NCHS website
Saunday, April 25, 2004   1:00PM to 4:00PM

The Northern California Herpetological Society (NCHS) will be hosting a special event featuring two noted speakers, Bill Love and Dick Bartlett. While this event is not sponsored by BAARS, it will most certainly be a very interesting event.
  Cost: $10.00 at the door
  Bill Love will be speaking on "The Wonders of Herping in Madagascar"
  Dick Bartlett will be speaking on "The Herpetofauna of the Amazon Basin - Peru"
Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley
San Jose, CA
http://www.wcsv.org/
Saturday, June 15th, 2002   10:00AM to -4:00 PM

The Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, (WCSV, which serves sick, injured, and orphan wildlife) has just relocated to a new facility in San Jose, and is holding an Open House for the general public.  They have invited a select number of rescue and wildlife organizations to this event, and BAARS is fortunate to be included in this event.  This is the one Open House they will have this year, and I'm looking forward to seeing the new rehabilitation facility, since BAARS has not previously participated in any WCSV events.  In addition to having live reptile table displays, BAARS will be giving a  talk on boas, pythons, and herps of Madagascar.
Cheetah Conservation Foundation
Foothill Community College, Los Altos, CA (?)
Saturday, Oct 26th 2002

The Cheetah Conservation Foundation is a group dedicated to helping the dwindling numbers of remaining wild Cheetah survive in Africa.  In past years, BAARS has participated in the "Run for Survival" at Foothill, an exciting event in which Cheetah's are actually unleashed and allowed to chase lures while being clocked  by Radar.   BAARS is excited about participating in this event again this year.

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Other Events of Possible Interest to Club Members

These events are NOT organized or sponsored by BAARS. They are either organized by members individually, or they are of interest to club members.

 

 

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