Calendar
January, 2006 Meeting Jason Folt: Winter Field Herping
| Date: | January 4, 2006 |
| Time: | 7:00 PM |
| Location: | Cincinnati Nature Center, Rowe Woods directions |
January, 2005 Monthly Meeting:
Jason Folt: "Winter Field Herping"
The January, 2006 meeting will feature a talk by Jason Folt: "Winter Field Herping"
Jason Folt has been a member of the GCHS for over a year now, and most of us recognize him as the enthusiastic, field-herping medical student from eastern Ohio. Jason had a great idea for a January talk. Many of us get ?cabin fever? in the dead of winter, and it?s hard to imagine that any successful field herping could be accomplished during a southern Ohio winter.
There are some things that can be accomplished, however, during the time of year that the habitat is sparsely vegetated and very passable, and many amphibians are gearing up for breeding season. If the weather is not too painfully frigid, we may be able to poke around a bit after the talk!
MEET THE SPEAKER:
*Also see Jason as ?Herper of the Month? from FieldHerpForum.com:
click here
Jason Folt grew up moving between Rochester, Michigan and Akron, Ohio, where his family now lives. He holds a degree in biological sciences/pre-medicine from Ohio University, and now attends the college of medicine here at UC.
Jason?s interest in herps started when he was very young. His dad was a birder and often took Jason and his brothers on hikes. During his nature outings, Jason became infatuated with snakes. He wanted one as a pet, but his mom (and I?m sure many of us can relate to this) was too afraid to allow it. He finally attained his first snake during his sophomore year in college and from there became obsessed. While in college, Carl Brune, a physics professor at OU and a local herper began teaching him herpetology. With the help of Dr. Scott Moody, he determined that there was interest for a herpetology club at OU and began the process of setting one up. Jason also assisted Dr. Moody with various projects and collecting locality data in the area. With Jason?s persuasion Dr. Moody started teaching the herpetology courses again and Jason took the classes. Jason has also assisted Jeff Davis with reptile and amphibian surveying in the Cincinnati and Dayton areas.
Today, Jason?s main interests include the conservation and life histories of the animals, and the opportunity to see them in the natural state. He has also and started to pick up photography through his interests in the herps. Recently, he has found a growing interest in venomous species and the effects of their toxins on humans, and hopes to tie his hobby into a future career.