On Monday, April 22, a representative naturalist from Reptiland will be presenting to students in biology, AP biology, zoology and life science classes.
Reptiland is a reptile-centered zoo located in Williamsport, Pa. The majority of their exhibits are reptiles, but they also have other exhibits with amphibians, small mammals, a butterfly garden and much more. They also give educational presentations and have a variety of other interactive opportunities for visitors.
“[Visitors] should expect a pretty cool place,” biology teacher Jessica Hogan said. “They have alligators, they have all kinds of different turtles and big tortoises, they have a butterfly garden that you can walk through very carefully. You have to be careful and the butterflies will land on your hands. They have snakes, they have Komodo dragons and on the last Saturday of each month you can pay extra money to watch them feed a pig to the komodo dragon. I haven’t done that yet, but I’m thinking about it.”
In past years, biology classes have had presentations done by Reptiland, as well as other organizations such as Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center. Teachers figured this year was perfect to welcome them back.
“We had Reptiland come a really long time ago, maybe ten years ago, and the biology teachers have been to Reptiland before,” biology and life science teacher Julie Gardner said. “We just thought it would be something fun to do on Earth Day before we all get focused on Keystone exams coming up.”
The presentation has been made possible thanks to educator-in-residence grants from the Altoona Area School District Foundation.
“We decided that this would be a nice time now that COVID-19 is over and everything,” Hogan said. “We could bring them back through the very generous donation from the Altoona Area School District Foundation. We got an Educator in Residence grant for them to come for the day, so it’s kind of a big deal. I would really like to give credit to the Altoona Area School District Foundation for seeing the merit in this and giving us grant funds to have them come. It’s hard to do presentations at Altoona High because it’s such a big school, and we don’t want to miss anybody.”
Freshmen and sophomores in biology classes are currently learning about ecology, the study of organisms in an environment and their interactions with each other and their environment. Earlier in the school year, freshmen enrolled in life science learned about animals.
The main focus of the presentation is biodiversity. Biodiversity is the idea that an ecosystem is better off with variations of life and diversity within those different species. Gardner and Hogan hope their students take away a greater understanding of the world around them and what impact they can have on it.
“I hope they learn the importance of preserving the habitats that we have,” Gardner said. “It’s nice that we’re doing this on Earth Day because it’s a good day to stop and think about what humans can do to preserve habitats that they have around them.”
“I hope students learn that they have an impact on the world around them,” Hogan said. “And, by seeing these animals, they can sort of understand how they can impact the world around them and how we can protect areas of the world for all organisms to flourish.”
There will be three presentations held for students in biology, AP biology, zoology and life science classes. Due to Reptiland’s limits on presentation group sizes, students who have not been given a pass are not welcome to attend. Presentations will be held from 8-9 a.m., 9:30-10:30 a.m. and 12:30-1:30 p.m..
“I’m excited to see reptiles,” freshman Hailey Goheen said. “I’ve never heard of this before.”
The visiting naturalist will be accompanied by several animals from Reptiland. According to Gardner, these animals will include scorpions as well as other reptiles and amphibians.
“I think they’re a little bit excited to see animals, but they might be a little bit disappointed that they’re not going to hold the animals,” Hogan said. “I think overall, all kids like to get out of class, so hopefully they’ll be excited about a change of venue and getting to learn and see about these animals.”
