Dear Applicant:

Thank you for your inquiry into the 2010 season of the Hawaii Island Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project. We will begin selecting applicants in early 2010. The following is some background information on our project and a description of the volunteer duties and requirements.

Since 1989, volunteers have assisted project biologists with monitoring, protecting, and collecting baseline data on nesting hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata). The endangered hawksbill is very rare throughout the world. Hawksbills in Hawaii face numerous threats, including non-native predators, invasive plants, artificial lights, vehicular traffic, and ocean debris. While approximately 90% of documented nesting in the Hawaiian Islands occurs on the southern coastline of Hawaii Island, only 100 nesting turtles have been tagged since 1991. Typically 5 to 15 nesting turtles and 25 to 50 nests are documented per season.

For the 2010 season, approximately 15-30 volunteers will at any given time be needed to monitor the nesting beaches from June to December (possibly later). Volunteers commit to work on the project for a minimum of 10 weeks and preference will be given to applicants who can commit to a longer term. Exceptions can be made for Hawaii Island residents who are able to provide their own housing and transportation to and from the National Park.

Applicants are not required to have prior experience working with sea turtles. Successful applicants will be self-motivated, conservation-minded, and able to get along well with others. A positive attitude, diligent work ethic, and a love for the outdoors are a must.

Turtle Volunteers must:

* Be at least 18 years of age.
* Possess a valid driver’s license (U.S. or international).
* Possess current first aid and CPR card
* Be able to commit to work on the project for a minimum of 10 weeks. Preference given to those able to commit longer. (for exceptions, see above).
* Be able to hike up to 12 miles over rugged lava terrain in difficult conditions with a 30+ pound backpack.
* Be able to hike and work in vog (sulphur dioxide emitted from the nearby volcano, which can be problematic for people with respiratory concerns).
* Be able to get along well with others.
* Be able to stay awake late at night.

Turtle Volunteer duties include:

* Camping from 6 up to 12 consecutive nights at remote beaches with a project technician or other trained volunteers.
* Conducting nightly watches (from 5 p.m. until at least 2 a.m.) to observe nesting turtles and emerging hatchlings.
* Hiking up to 12 miles (one-way) over rugged lava terrain with a 30+ pound backpack to reach field sites.
* 4-wheel driving on long, bumpy roads to reach field sites.
* Day-checking other nesting beaches on a regular basis to look for signs of turtle activity by hiking up to 12 miles (one-way) or 4-wheel driving.
* Handling adult turtles, which includes restraining, measuring, applying flipper tags, and checking for injuries.
* Ensuring that hatchlings reach the ocean by monitoring nests that are ready to hatch, rescuing stranded hatchlings, and excavating nests.
* Recording baseline data, which includes keeping a field notebook, filling out data sheets, drawing maps, and entering data into the computer.
* Controlling predators by baiting and checking live-traps daily and euthanizing mongooses, feral cats, and rats using carbon dioxide gas.
* Picking up trash and debris along the coastline.
* Photographing turtle activity if needed.
* Interacting with and educating the local community about sea turtle conservation on a regular basis both in the field and in formal presentations.
* Assisting project technicians with logistics such as equipment and camp maintenance, vehicle inspections, office work, and various other duties as assigned.
* Keeping volunteer houses clean and following all housing policy rules.(if living in housing)

Shared dorm style housing can be provided at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The housing is located near the project’s office and National Park’s visitor center in a rainforest environment at an elevation of 4,000 feet. Bedrooms are shared by multiple volunteers. A $10 per work day food stipend will be provided, although additional funds are needed to supplement this stipend for basic needs and entertainment. Furthermore, a vehicle will not be provided for personal transportation.

It can take several weeks for your application to be processed, so please be patient. You will be notified of your status by either phone or e-mail. If you are accepted, a detailed information packet will be sent to you. You must arrive at least one day prior to your orientation date, which will be scheduled when you are accepted. Transportation to and from the National Park from Hilo is provided on your arrival and departure dates.

If you have any questions or would like to find out more information, please contact us by either phone (808) 985-6090 or e-mail HAVO_Turtle_Project@nps.gov.

COMPLETED APPLICATIONS CAN BE MAILED, E-MAILED, OR FAXED

Mailing Address: Hawaii Island Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project

Resources Management Division

P.O. Box 52

Hawaii National Park, HI 96718

E-mail Address: HAVO_Turtle_Project@nps.gov Fax: (808) 985-6029

Thank you for your interest in protecting Hawaii’s hawksbill turtles.

2010 Hawaii Island Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project Volunteer Application

Name: ________________________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

Phone: Day ( ) ____________________ Evening ( ) __________________________

E-mail address: _________________________________________________________________

Birthdate: _____________________________________________________________________

How did you find out about this project?_____________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Why do you want to volunteer for this project? ________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Dates available to volunteer: __________________________ to __________________________

Predator control is a high priority of this project. Volunteers are trained in the procedure of dispatching mongooses, feral cats, and rats using carbon dioxide gas. All volunteers are required to euthanize trapped predators. Are you comfortable with this aspect of the program? YES NO

Do you possess a valid driver’s license (U.S. or international)? YES NO

Many of our sites are accessible only by 4-wheel drive. Do you have any 4-wheel drive experience? YES NO Can you drive a standard transmission? YES NO

Will you be able to provide your own sleeping bag and large frame pack?

Sleeping Bag: YES NO Pack: YES NO

Are you currently certified in First Aid and CPR? YES NO

Education:

Name and Location of Universities or Colleges Attended or Attending: ____________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Major area of studies: ____________________________________________________________

Degrees obtained:_____________________________ Date obtained:______________________

Pertinent Courses: ______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________ (Attach a separate sheet if necessary)

Outdoor field experience:

Describe relevant experience: _____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Work Experience from two of your most recent jobs:

1. Name and address of employer: _________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Name, phone #, and e-mail address of immediate supervisor: ____________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

Your job title:__________________________________________________________________

Dates employed:______________________________ to ________________________________
Average number of work hours per week? ___________________________________________

Description of Duties: ___________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________ (Attach a separate sheet if necessary)

2. Name and address of employer: _________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Name, phone #, and e-mail address of immediate supervisor: ____________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

Your job title:__________________________________________________________________

Dates employed:_______________________________ to _______________________________

Average number of work hours per week? ___________________________________________

Description of Duties: ___________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________ (Attach a separate sheet if necessary)

References:

List three work or school related references who know about your qualifications for the position.
Name: ___________________________________ Title: _______________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________ Phone: ( ) ___________________________E-mail:_____________________________

Name: ___________________________________ Title: _______________________________
Address: ______________________________________________________________________

Phone: ( ) ___________________________E-mail:_____________________________

Name: ___________________________________ Title: ______________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

Phone: ( ) ___________________________E-mail:_____________________________

Signature of applicant:__________________________________ Date:_____________________

PLEASE INCLUDE A RESUME AND COVER LETTER WITH YOUR APPLICATION

Behind the scenes on a typical Monday at Reptiles Alive.

Today is feeding day for the snakes.  What, they only get fed on Mondays?!

That’s right.  Put your hand on your neck.  Does it feel warm?  Oh good, that means you are still alive.  Humans are endothermic that means that we have a heater inside our body to keep us a nice warm 98.6 degrees F.  What powers that heater is the food you must eat every day.

Reptiles are ectothermic or exothermic meaning “outside temperature.”  They are the same temperature inside their body as the temperature outside their body.  That means they don’t burn much food to make heat energy.  That is why we must eat much more than reptiles do.

Some of the snakes don’t even eat every week!  One snake, the Kenya Sand Boa, often goes nine months in the wild without eating!

Lot’s of people ask us what we feed our carnivores.

fresh ratcicles

Since snakes aren’t to excited about the culinary delights of dog food or hot dogs, we have to resort to a more wholesome approach to their diet; ratcicles!  These are humanely killed rats from a zoo food supply company are shipped frozen.  We defrost them in warm water and its lunch time!

The baby alligator sure looks excited about his lunch.

Check out the video of the alligator and snapping turtle eating on the Reptiles Alive Facebook Page and become our fan!

Burmese Python

Python molurus bivittatus

Reptiles Alive Names: “Sunshine, Moonlight, and Starlight”

Hissstory: Sunshine was abandoned at a carpet warehouse in Sterling, VA in 2000.  The store owner called us to come and get her, and she was in pretty bad shape.  We spent about a year rehabilitating her back to health.  She has been healthy and growing ever since!  Moonlight was rescued by the Virginia Reptile Rescue from a pet store that was closed down and we adopted him in 2009.  Starlight was abandoned  as an unwanted pet at the Alexandria Animal Welfare League where we adopted him in 2009.

RA Diet: Two or three frozen and then defrosted triple extra large rats every 2-4 weeks.

Range: India, Burma, and Southeast Asia.

Habitat: Pythons live in rain forests, farmlands, and fields.

Natural Diet: Burmese pythons will eat just about any mammal or bird they can fit into their stomach.

Size: Burmese pythons are one of the biggest snakes in the world.   Their average length is 9-13 feet, but the record length is 23 feet.  They can weigh over 200 pounds.

Lifespan: Burmese pythons can live over 40 years.

Reproduction: Female Burmese pythons can lay up to 100 large eggs, but typically lay 12-36. Unlike most snakes,  mother pythons will coil around eggs and twitch their body to raise the temperature and help incubate the eggs. She will not leave the eggs until they hatch.

Conservation: Burmese pythons  have become an invasive exotic species in southern Florida.  People keeping pythons as pets either illegally released their unwanted animals into the wild or the snakes escaped improper caging.  Either way, no one knows for sure the impact these giant snakes will have on the south Florida ecosystem as they reproduce and consume native animals, including alligators.

Cool Facts: Sunshine, Moonlight, and Starlight are all albinos, born without the black or brown pigment called melanin. The brilliant yellows and whites you see on our albino pythons would otherwise be covered over by the brown and black pigments  found on normally patterned snakes.

Arlington – February 28th, 2010

Get involved in helping Virginia’s wildlife!
Introduction to Wildlife Rehabilitation

Interested in helping wildlife, but not sure where to start? Join the Wildlife Center of Virginia for an introduction to ways in which you can help Virginia’s wild animals. Learn how to determine if a baby animal is really an orphan, what to do if an animal is injured, and where to get the right wildlife advice. Discover ways to get involved, including how to become a permitted wildlife rehabilitator. Discussion will also include wildlife laws, the rehabilitator’s code of ethics, and considerations on becoming a wildlife rehabilitator.
Introduction to Raising Orphaned Birds

This beginner’s course for those obtaining their rehabilitation permit focuses on the rehabilitation of “beginner” species and basics on “intermediate” species of orphaned birds commonly seen in Virginia, including: American Robin, European Starling, Common Grackle, Mourning Dove, Pigeon, Blue Jay, Northern Mockingbird, Northern Cardinal, American Goldfinch, House Finch, Purple Finch, House Sparrow and Eastern Bluebird. Natural history, identification, general care, proper nutrition, diet and feeding, housing, release criteria, and problems and solutions are all covered.
Rationalizing Euthanasia in Difficult Trauma Cases

Wildlife rehabilitators and wildlife veterinarians are often presented with train-wreck cases and expected to perform “magic” by healing the animal despite their extensive injuries. In many of these cases, the injuries are not external or may appear minor at first glance however, the injuries may impact the ability of the animal to hunt or gather food, escape predation, reproduce, perform normal behaviors, or act normally within a wild population. This lecture will present a series of terminal trauma cases presented to wildlife referral hospitals and explain the rational for the euthanasia or why the animal could not be released back into the wild.
Date: Sunday, February 28th, 2010
Time: 9:30 am – 11:30 am Introduction to Wildlife Rehabilitation
11:45 am – 2:45 pm Introduction to Raising Orphaned Birds
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm Rationalizing Euthanasia in Difficult Trauma Cases
Location: Long Branch Nature Center, Arlington, VA
Fees: $20 for Intro to Rehab; $25 for Intro to Birds, $20 for Rationalizing Euthanasia. Register for all three classes for $60. Wildlife Rescue League members receive a $5/class discount.
Registration: To register, please call 540-942-9453 or email your name, address, and classes of interest to outreach@wildlifecenter.org. Once received, the outreach coordinator will email a confirmation letter with directions as well as payment instructions. In order to guarantee your place in a class, pre-payment is required. Walk-ins are welcome, but are not guaranteed class manuals or certificates of attendance. Refunds are given if written requests are received five days or more prior to classes. No refunds will be given for cancellations made after the deadline or for no shows.

The Wildlife Center of Virginia, a hospital for native wildlife, teaching the world to care about and care for wildlife and the environment.

Posting by Caroline Seitz

We are completely snowed in here at Reptiles Alive.  Snow started falling last Friday afternoon and piled up about 25 inches around us by late Saturday afternoon.  We have been very lucky to have not lost power – but the only road in or out has remained untouched by plows and is impassable.  Luckily, I am able to get to the animal rooms and office without having to drive.

Now we are once again facing a Winter Storm Warning with the possibility of another 10-20 inches in the next 24 hours combined with high winds at 25 – 40 miles per hour.  We have contacted friends with large 4WD vehicles to help evacuate our animals if our power is lost, so the animals will stay safe.

Our show schedule, however, is in tatters.  The last show we were able to perform was on Friday February 5 in the morning.  Since then, more than a dozen shows and after school classes have been canceled, and I am sure many more will be canceled at least through this Saturday.   If our streets are plowed, I am hoping to be able to get our Wildlife Educators out to perform shows this weekend – but there is a chance we will still be unable to get out.

I am hoping to be able to reschedule many of the canceled shows, but since our calendar is so busy already, I’m sure some of them will not be able to be rescheduled.  Remember our cancellation policy is that if your show is canceled due to snow, and we are not able to reschedule it for you, we will send you a 100% refund.

In the meantime, the well being of our animals is first and foremost.  I will be preparing the animal rooms today for the possibility of losing power.   And, I will be comforted knowing that I have a large group of friends ready to help in the event of a real emergency.

Thank you all so much – Good Luck Everyone!

SOME NEW ENCLOSURES

I was called in to be an extra pair of hands last week for the delivery of some new enclosures from Animal Plastics.  Why was the help needed you ask?  These babies were being delivered from a semi truck!

We have a very long winding driveway with some sharp curves up a hill here at Reptiles Alive.  There was no way, no how that semi was going to make it up that driveway.

We had three ways of getting this very large and heavy package up that driveway.

1. Slide the whole thing into Caroline’s Van and drive it up the hill
2. Strap that bad boy on to my wheeled cart and pull it like a couple of mules up the driveway.
3. Take out the knifes and cut the package open and carry it up piece by piece. (My least favorite option.)

The van was driven down the hill for plan #1. The side doors were slid open and… That was SO not going to happen!  The box was enormous! Ok, how about the back door?  HA!  Are you kidding me?

Ok… now what?  I was getting psyched up for plan #2 when who happens to be walking by with his dog?  Jeff our neighborhood life saver!  This good Samaritan offers his work truck to haul our dilemma up the hill for us.  Hooray!

Jeff, my man, if it were not for you we would have been schlepping that thing up the hill all afternoon.  My legs would have fallen off!  Many thanks.

We had no problem transferring the cages into the building from the smaller truck.  As soon as we have some time to do some massive rearranging in the reptile room, we will be tackling the assembly of these beasts.  I have to say, even in pieces the cages sure look like beauties.  Thank you Animal Plastics!

Look for a future posting with assembly and drama when we construct new homes for an iguana and water monitor!

Kenyan Sand Boa

Eryx colubrinus loveridgei

Reptiles Alive Name: “Tremors”

Hissstory: A friend of Caroline’s donated Tremors to Reptiles Alive in March of 1997.

RA Diet: Defrosted frozen mice.

Natural Diet: Sand boas eat small mammals and lizards.  When food is scarce, sand boas may live over a year without any food at all.

Range: Kenyan sand boas are found in Northeast Africa.

Habitat: Sand boas are found in hot, dry deserts.

Size: Sand boas are some of the smallest boa species on Earth.  They typically grow only 1-2 feet long.

Reproduction: Sand boas give live birth to 7-10 young after a gestation period of about four months.

Lifespan: Sand boas can live over 15 years.  Tremors was born in 1997 – and he is still in great shape!

Cool Facts: The eyes and nostrils of the sand boa are on the top of the head so they can breath and search the surface for prey while the rest of their body lies hidden beneath the sand.

Nelson’s Milk Snake

Lampropeltis triangulum nelsoni

Reptiles Alive Name: “Milkshake”

Hissstory: We received Milkshake from a reptile rescue group in 2004.

RA Diet: Milkshake does not actually drink milkshakes.  He much prefers defrosted frozen mice.

Natural Diet: Milk snakes have a varied diet including birds, small mammals, lizards, and other snakes – even venomous snakes!

Range: Nelson’s milk snakes are found in Mexico and Central America.

Habitat: Nelson’s milk snakes live in dry woodlands and rocky areas.  They spend most of their time hiding underground in burrows or rock crevices.

Size: Nelson’s milk snakes can grow 14-18 inches long.

Life Span: Milk snakes can live 15 years or more.

Reproduction: Female milk snakes lay 3-8 eggs in July.  The eggs typically begin hatching in September.

Cool Facts: Only mammals drink milk, so why name a snake a “milk snake?”  No one knows for sure how the milk snake got its name, but some people believe that when the first Europeans began settling in the eastern United States a farmer saw a snake biting the udder of a cow.  It is physically impossible for a snake to milk a cow. Perhaps the cow had stepped on the snake and the snake was trying to get the cow to move.

The milk snakes include species and sub-species living throughout North, Central, and South America.  They range in color, but most have a “tri-color” pattern of red, black, and yellow or white bands around their body.  Although this pattern makes them similar in appearance to the venomous coral snakes, milk snakes are completely harmless to humans.

Posting by Caroline Seitz

I would like to give thanks today for all the people who have helped Reptiles Alive this year.

Virginia Olin, Brenda Parker, Jack House and all the others who have graciously saved and donated newspapers to us all year – you help form the base of our animal collection.

Dr. Anne Hiss, Dr. Emily Hoppmann, and Dr. David Crum – thank you for helping us treat sick and injured reptiles here at Reptiles Alive.  We could not do it without your expertise in reptile and wildlife medicine.

Suzanne D’Alonzo  and the staff of the Alexandria Animal Welfare League- you work so hard to save injured, stray, and abandoned animals of all species, including reptiles.  Truly, I appreciate your being there for reptiles.

Bonnie Keller  – thank you for caring for so many of the confiscated and abandoned reptiles that have no where else to go.

Janis Geritts  and Reade Harbitter – thank you for taking time out of your busy Keeper schedule at the National Zoo to give us “behind the scene” tours.  Great Fun!

Aaron Pennington – I could not be writing this right now without all the help you give us in the computer and technology department.  You are SO KIND to help us when our computers and related equipment stop working.  We are completely dependent on you.  We are at your mercy.

Jennifer Rafter – we miss you!  Thank you for being a part of the Reptiles Alive team for so long, you were here almost from the very beginning.  We will visit you often at your new Delmarva Discovery Center.  We can’t wait to see the sturgeon, gar and all the reptiles and amphibians you will exhibit.  Turn the DDC into the Reptiles Alive Discovery Center

Tony Bulmer – whew, thank goodness you are willing to work so tirelessly almost every weekend! Your skills and professionalism as a wildlife educator help to make Reptiles Alive a success.  You have been with us now for almost 8 years!  And we don’t know what we would do without you.  Thank You.

Rachel Walker – You are an integral part of our team.  Night shows, weekend shows, summer shows.  Big shows, little shows.  Cub scouts, schools, birthdays – you do them all!  You are a talented wildlife educator -  I know because I read all of the fantastic and amazing evaluations all of our clients send in.  And even though it is not your favorite, you are willing to help out in the Keeper department.  You have even spent time entering the data for our Wildlife Exhibitor Permit reports.  I REALLY appreciate that!  Thank you Rachel!

Jennifer Pennington – I can’t even begin to thank you properly for everything you have done for Reptiles Alive.  You help in So Many Ways.  Our website – yep, that is all you.  Our blog – started by you.  Facebook – you again!  Graphic design for just about everything?  Oh, Jen again!  How about your work as a wildlife educator?  Lets see, you spend tons of time preparing for and teaching a ton of after school classes.  That is hard work!  In addition, you perform shows far away, nearby, early in the morning, late at night (including New Years Eve! THANKS!!!!)  You are an amazing and talented wildlife educator, our shows would not be the same with out you.  (We wouldn’t even have Ecosystems Alive – one of our most popular shows!)  And, of  course, you help with everything else.  Keeper Work?  check.  Answer phones? check.  Taking care of the entire organization when I’m away on vacation?  Oh yeah – that too!

One last thank you – To All of our Clients and Fans – we would not be here at all without you!  Thank you all so much.

Happy Holidayssssssssssssss to Everyone from Reptiles Alive

Giant Madagascar Hognose Snake

Leioheterodon madagascariensis

Show Name: “Mr. Leo Heterodon”

Hissstory: Mr. Leo was a pet in Chincoteague, VA until his owner did not want him anymore.  He was sent to a reptile rescue group in western Virginia where, in 2002, we adopted him.

Touchable in our shows: YES.

Zoo Diet: Mr. Leo loves to dine on frozen and then defrosted medium to large sized rats.  Delicioussssssssssss!

Natural Diet: Madagascar hognose  snakes in the wild will eat small mammals, amphibians, and possibly small birds.

Range: Madagascar

Habitat: Madagascar hognose snakes are found in mountain forests at low altitudes, coastal areas, and grasslands often near water and human habitation.  They spend most of their time hiding in shallow burrows or rocky crevices.

Size: Madagascar hognose snakes can grow over 5 feet long and are very heavy-bodied.

Life Span: Madagascar hognose snakes can live over 20 years.

Reproduction: The females snakes lay 6-12 eggs.  The young hatch in 60-80 days and are about 12 inches long.

Conservation: Habitat loss is a major threat to most animals found in Madagascar.

Cool Facts: Giant Madagascar hognose snakes are opistoglyphous, which means they have fangs in the back of their mouth.  Their mild venom is not dangerous to humans, but it helps them catch their prey.  When Madagascar hognose snakes are threatened, they hiss loudly and can flatten their neck – like a cobra!