OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE BAY AREA AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE SOCIETY March 2014
BEHIND BAARS
http://www.cafepress.com/baars
General MeetingFriday, March 28 @ 7:30 p.m.
Doors open 7:00 p.m.
Cubberley Community Center, Room M-2 Music Room, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
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Contents
President’s Report - 2
Save Frogs - 3
Read Across America - 4
Events & Activities - 5
Treasurer’s Report - 8
Herp News - 9
Board Members & Contacts - 10
Membership Form - 11
Online Resources
Older Newsletters
President’s Report
Hello BAARS Members and Supporters,
First, a little background on my current health status, and then we’ll discuss speakers for the
general meetings. For those of you who don’t know, I was in a significant motorcycle
accident on Feb 1st and sustained a broken wrist, a shattered right arm, and other injuries. A
van made a left turn directly in front of me (on my bike). As I jammed on the brakes and
slammed into the side of it, scenes of my possible demise played in my head. I wish to thank
BAARS members for their good wishes and support in this time of healing and recuperation. I
was in the hospital for 8 days, have 5 plates in my right arm, and it looks like I will be out of
work for 3-4 months.
For our March (3/28) General Meeting, we have Brian Gundy of
For-Goodness-Snakes speaking on breeding ball pythons and boa constrictors.
In March, we’ll have Brian Gundy from “For-Goodness-Snakes” speaking on breeding and
husbandry tips for ball pythons and boas. Brian is a great source of information and is highly
recommended as an honest breeder of high-end ball pythons and boas. Brian has had a
lifelong interest in reptiles; he’s also been very successful as a breeder and in giving
entertaining presentations for every type of event, from birthday parties to corporate
events. Please check out http://www.for-goodness-snakes.com/ for more information on
Brian and his snakes! Remember, we’ll be room M-2 for the March 28 meeting!
I also wanted to give a big “Thank-You” to Save-the-Frogs and Dr. Kerry Kriger for making the
February meeting a big success! It’s very important that BAARS and www.savethefrogs.com
work together in order to get the message out about the collapse of the amphibian
populations and what we can do help. Many populations of amphibians are in crisis, and the
popular press hasn’t helped much.
Remember, BAARS is your club; please try to bring a friend to the next meeting! Please come to our General Meeting!
Sincerely,
Scott Alexander, BAARS President, 2014
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Kerry Krieger From Save The Frogsby Rhonda Velez
Last night's BAARS General Meeting was a hopping success!
Due to a scheduling mistake, the custodian didn't open the door till after 7:00 p.m.. Nearly forty-five people were in
attendance. Scott Petersen led the short business portion of our meeting, calling on Tony, Joanne, and Gil for upcoming
event details. Our next event coming up this Thursday is Read Across America [Ed: See photos below], celebrating the
anniversary of Dr. Seuss' birthday. This community event, promoting family literacy, is held annually at New Republic
Elementary School in Salinas. This March marks the tenth year that our members Tony and Rhonda have volunteered.
Our speaker, Dr. Kerry Kriger of SAVETHEFROGS.COM, held our attention with a Q&A-infused visual presentation,
highlighting the organization’s varied worldwide activities. Kerry included audience members in the discussion of
education, awareness, environmental protection, and proposals for increasing amphibian habitat. Save The Frogs
continues to introduce and promote frog-friendly legislation, agricultural changes, and conscientious business practices.
Currently, there are ongoing efforts aimed towards business, corporate, and political professionals suggesting that they
think about amphibians before making devastating decisions. BAARS is proud to be an active group encouraging the
efforts of STF. Tania Tengan wrote, " Dr. Kerry Kriger was great last night!! It was so inspiring to meet someone doing
amazingly impactful global work!"
The proceeds, which BAARS donated to SAVE THE FROGS, were surprisingly abundant! Everyone was asked to bring
raffle items, with an emphasis on frogs and toads. Thanks to Dorothy and Gil, Jim, Tania, Tony, and Rhonda our raffle table
was packed with a wide variety of frog and pet items. Kerry covered a table with bracelets, stickers, t-shirts, and copies
of his book, The Story of Save The Frogs. We also asked for folks to bring treats, while cups, ice, and napkins were
supplied by the BAARS Board. Tony and Rhonda brought the BAARS party tote! Thank you Joanne for the new cookie
cutter! Rhonda made and frosted little frog sugar cookies (adding green jelly belly eyes), baked Kermit the Frog sugar
cookies, and decorated a couple dozen Pillsbury Funfetti flavored cupcakes to look like frogs! Tony warned not to
choose and eat the frog cupcakes with the dark eyes, as that Jelly Belly flavor was a strong coffee bean! The red-eyed
frogs' eyes proved to be less shocking to the palate. Rhonda wants everyone to know that no harm came to any living
creature during the production of these treats.
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Creatures Read Across Americaby Gilbert Castro
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UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIESby Joanne Hiratsuka Petersen
More details are on our BAARS.org website under Shows. As always, contact Joanne Petersen,
[email protected] , if you want to participate.
March 2014
March 287:30 p.m.
BAARS General Club Meeting >>Room M-2 Music Room<<Speaker: Brian Gundy on breeding Ball Pythons and Boa constrictors.
NEW START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)
April 2014
April 47:30 p.m.
BAARS Board Meeting - 7:30 pmFor details, contact [email protected].
April 257:30 p.m.
BAARS General Club Meeting >>Room ???<<Speaker: TBD
NEW START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)
April 2610:30am - 1:30pm
Summit for the Planet, 10:30 (setup) - 1:30 pmMount Madonna School, 491 Summit Rd, Watsonville, CA 950768th Annual Summit for the Planet Walk-a-thon & Earth Day Celebration April 26, 2014.Be a part of a community-wide event celebrating Earth Day and giving inspiration to today’s youth and their families on how they can take meaningful action on importantenvironmental issues. Our Earth Day Celebration will begin upon completion of the community Walk-a-thon at 11 a.m.. Contact Joanne Petersen, [email protected], if you want to participate.
April 26 Save the Frogs Day , BerkeleyThe Frogs Day is the world's largest day of amphibian education and conservation action. Last year our supporters held 270 events in at least 30 countries, directly reaching over 17,000 participants. In the Bay Area, we will be celebrating Save the Frogs Day at the SAVE THE FROGS! Education Center in Berkeley all weekend long! Please join us for amphibious presentations, live music, frog art, frogging expeditions,and lots of awesome frog-friendly people! NOTE: BAARS will not be there in any official capacity. This event is posted for BAARS members/friends who may want to participate.Contact: Save the Frogs, http://savethefrogs.com/contact/index.html or Kerry Kriger, [email protected].
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April 2711:30a.m. - 4p.m.
Los Altos Hills Earth Day CelebrationThe Los Altos Hills Earth Day Celebration is on Sunday, April 27st from 1:00-4:00pm atthe Westwind Community Barn, 27210 Altamont Road, Los Altos Hills. Exhibitors should arrive between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and location is on a first- come, first-served basis. Car access will be blocked off at 12:30 p.m.. You will need to provide your own table, chairs, displays, and educational pamphlets or materials to bedistributed to those attending. A canopy is highly recommended as this is an outdoorsshow. Directions from 280: Exit at Page Mill; follow Page Mill Road west of 280 (towards the hills) approximately 2 miles. Turn left onto Altamont Road. Continue for 1/3 of a mile. Look for the road leading into Westwind Community Barn on the right.Contact: Joanne Petersen, [email protected], if you plan to attend, and if you have a table, chairs, or canopy to bring. Rain will cancel the event; if there is any doubt about whether or not they have cancelled, please contact Sarah Gualtieri the morning of April 21st. Sarah is our onsite contact and can be reached at 650-996-8015 (cell) or 650-947-2518 (office).
May 2014
May 27:30 p.m.
BAARS Board Meeting - 7:30 pmFor details, contact [email protected].
May 511 a.m - 3 p.m.
Hartnell College Health & Science Fair, Salinas1752 E. Alisal Ave., SalinasSo many young people haven't had any kind of animal experience outside of what they might have at their schools. It will be a great opportunity to educate them aboutthe wonderful world of herps. Hartnell College, Alisal Campus, is located at 1752 East Alisal Avenue in Salinas (just past the airport/golf course). If it's a nice day, we'll be outon the lawn; otherwise we will have space inside if it's too hot, windy or rainy.Contact: Joanne Petersen, [email protected], if you can participate. I will send additional information regarding the show as I get it from Joni Black at Hartnell ([email protected]). Tony & Rhonda Velez will be at this show, so if you plan to attend, please contact them at [email protected].
May 10 & 11all day
Lodi Breeders ShowLodi Grape Festival Fairground, 413 East Lockeford Street, Lodi, CA 95240http://www.thereptilebreedersshow.com/ $10 Adults, $7 Children, Free: 3 or under (and free parking; do not bring your pets!) NOTE: BAARS will not be there in any official capacity. This event is posted for BAARS members/friends who may want to attend this show.
May 237:30 p.m.
BAARS General Club Meeting >>Room ???<<Speaker: TBD
NEW START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)
May 24 & 25 Bay Area Reptile ExpoAlameda County Fairgrounds, 4501 Pleasanton Avenue, PleasantonTime: 10-6 Saturday, 10-5 Sunday
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https://www.facebook.com/BayAreaReptileExpo/(Fee for admission not posted on website yet.) NOTE: BAARS will not be there in any official capacity. This event is posted for BAARS members/friends who may want to attend this show.
June 2014
June 67:30 p.m.
BAARS Board Meeting - 7:30 pmFor details, contact [email protected].
June 277:30 p.m.
BAARS General Club Meeting >>Room ???<<Speaker: TBD
NEW START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)
July 2014
July X7:30 p.m.
BAARS Board Meeting - 7:30 pmFor details, contact [email protected].(Date TBD, we will not meet on Friday, July 4th)
July 257:30 p.m.
July 2611 am - 3 p.m.
BAARS General Club Meeting >>Room ???<<Speaker: TBD
NEW START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)
Reptile Rally, Sulphur Creek Nature Center1801 D Street, Hayward, 11 am - 3 pmReptiles! Resilient, remarkable, and resplendent from the tip of their noses to the endof their tails. Join us as we meet up with the Bay Area Amphibian and Reptile Society (BAARS), for a rockin' good time of coming face-to-face with creatures that have endured the test of time. Bring the family and slither into an exciting day of learning about snakes, lizards, turtles, and tortoises. This special event is FREE! Make it a family day, bring a picnic and enjoy getting back into nature.Contact: Joanne Petersen, [email protected], or Pete Marshall, [email protected], to say which herps you're bringing.
July 31 - August 3noon - 7 p.m.
Santa Clara County Fair344 Tully Rd, San Jose, California 95111Daily from 12 noon - 7 p.m.Santa Clara County Fair with livestock and other animals (BAARS). This is a great opportunity to meet with kids and adults to show our herps! The fair is from Thursday,July 31st, through Sunday, August 3rd, 12 noon to 7 p.m. all days. I would like to haveBAARS participate at least on Saturday/Sunday if I can get enough volunteers. We canwork shifts, so you don't have to stay all day! Please bring your pets even if it's just for a few hours on one day (any of the 4 days) and you'll get a free admission pass to the fair (for the days you'll be showing herps) if you sign up!Contact: Joanne Petersen, [email protected], if you want to participate. Can also contact Tony Velez, [email protected].
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Treasurer’s Reportby Scott Petersen
This report covers the month of February 2014. The 2014 annual budget was approved at the February board meeting
with one exception: the line item for club insurance needs to be finalized. An effort is under way to identify a policy that
best meets the club’s needs. Once identified, the board will vote on that one line item.
The summary for the 2014 budget is:
Income: $2046
Expenses: $2701
Difference: -$655
You will note that there is a projected -$655 for the 2014 budget. The board felt that this was an acceptable risk given
past years of higher than projected income and the underspend in several budgeted areas.
At our February general meeting, the guest speaker was Kerry Kriger, founder of SAVE THE FROGS!
http://www.savethefrogs.com/. Because BAARS supports the work that Kerry and his colleagues are doing, it was
decided to donate all the proceeds from our February meeting’s raffle and food sales to SAVE THE FROGS!. As a result
BAARS was able to donate $112. Thanks go out to all of you who supported this worthwhile organization. And a special
thanks goes out to Rhonda for making all the frog-themed baked goods, and Rhonda & Tony for acquiring the
merchandise and running the raffle. Thanks also go to Daniel, who helped with the raffle winning numbers call out. We
are lucky to have such active members in our club!
Cash flow for the month of February was -$43.98. Total income (minus the SAVE THE FROGS! donation) was $60, with
expenses of $103.74. As is typical, our biggest expense was our meeting room rent, followed by the hardcopy printing
and mailing of the monthly newsletter for those without email. Income came from membership renewals.
For the month of February 2014, we had the following allocated funds:
Salamander Fund: $213
Tax/Legal Fund: $755
Petty Cash: $40
As of the end of February 2014, our checking account held $3214.88.
Posting Date: ___YTD__ 1/31/2014 2/28/2014 Expenses $214.72 $110.98 $103.74 Income: $292.70 $232.70 60.00 Cash flow: $77.98 $121.72 $43.74
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Herp News (of the Weird)
Did you know …… that you are NOT allowed to illegally take wildlife in a survival situation!Better bring your fishing/hunting license along, if you plan to run out of food or get lost!http://californiaoutdoorsqas.com/2014/03/06/taking-wildlife-in-a-survival-situation/
Editor’s NotesCheck out Brian Gundy’s YouTube Channel. In addition to footage of his snakes, there are also cool herping videos from the Santa Cruz Mountains. Check it out and give the videos a Thumbs Up! if you like them!Also, don’t miss the Gallery at his for-goodness-snakes website.
Look at our HUGE Event listings for the upcoming months. Attend, participate, and tell your friends about it! BAARS will be at many of these events, so join us in showing your animals and teaching the public about them.
Remember you can order Baars t-shirts from Cafepress! Wearing a club t-shirt to an event not only identifies you as an exhibitor and member, it also shows support for your club and spreads the word!
BAARS Online Resourcesby Scott Alexander
www.baars.org Lists upcoming activities and contact information for most board members.Editor’s Note: We are in the process of refreshing our website. Hop over and take a look and let us know what you think and also anything you would like to see on the site.
Facebook Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/BAARSociety The BAARS Facebook page lists events.
Facebook Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/239964525544/ If you are a member of the BAARS Facebook group, you can post and share your reptiles. You cannot sell on the Facebook page unless you are a paid-up BAARS member.
Yahoo Group/Email Grouphttp://www.yahoogroups.com/neo/groups/BAARS/infoSign up for the BAARS yahoo group (via Yahoo’s groups) if you want to get more engaged with the BAARS community; this will allow you to send out and receive emails to the BAARS distribution list.
Newsletter Exchanges
Minnesota Herpetological Society Newsletter Page - contact the BAARS Newsletter Editor for current MHSP
newsletters.
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BAARS 2013 Board Members
ELECTED OFFICERSPresident: Scott Alexander408-823-3675, [email protected]
Vice President: Eric Koessel510-847-4392, [email protected]
Membership Secretary: Kyna Hendra 408-204-5131, [email protected]
Recording Secretary: Vacant
Treasurer: Scott [email protected]
MEMBERS-AT-LARGEGilbert & Dorothy Castro408-582-4247, [email protected]
Tania Tengan & Michael Pleban & Aria Pleban 408-499-5867, [email protected]
Rhonda Velez & Tony Velez831-540-8119
Jeff [email protected]
T-SHITS & BAARS MERCHANDISEhttp://www.cafepress.com/baars
APPOINTED OFFICERSNewsletter Editor & Webmaster: Aleks [email protected]
Show Coordinator: Joanne [email protected]
Publicity Director: Vacant
Adoptions Coordinator: Austin Pleban and [email protected]
NEWSLETTERSubmissions: [email protected]
We love herp-related original articles, trip and show reports, stories about your animals, and original photographs and drawings. You retain all rights but grant us permission to use, edit, and publish in the newsletter and on our website with attribution. Only submit materials for which you own the copyright or have written permission from copyright owners.
BAARS exchanges Newsletters with a number of other clubs. Check out the folder of recent newsletters at the General Meeting, or contact the Newsletter Editor.
MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNTSEast Bay Vivarium, Berkeley - 10%Dr. R. Singh, Veterinarian, Sunnyvale - 10%
ADVERTISING IN BEHIND BAARSAdvertising PoliciesBAARS assumes NO RESPONSIBILITY regarding the health or legality of any animal, or the quality or legality of any product or service advertised in the BAARS Newsletter. Any ad may be rejected at the discretion of the Newsletter Editor; complimentary advertisements are run as space permits.
Classified AdsAll BAARS members in good standing are allowed one classified ad, run free of charge as space permits. Ads may be run three (3) consecutive months, after which time they may be resubmitted. Advertisements must be submitted electronically to [email protected].
Non-members: send payments by check (payable to: Bay Area Amphibian and Reptile Society) to: BAARS, ℅ Palo Alto Junior Museum, 1451 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94301. Once payment has been processed, the ad will be posted.
Advertising Costs Business card sized ad $5/month or $40/year1/4 Page $10/month or $80/year1/2 Page $20/month or $160/year
To advertise on our website, please, contact [email protected].
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Membership Application
__New Membership __ Renewal Membership __Change of Address
Individual/Family: __1 Year ($25) __2 Years ($50) __ 3 Years ($75) __4 Years ($100)
Special: __Sustaining ($35) __Contributing ($50) __Patron ($100) __ Institutional ($20)
__Check to have your special gift mentioned in the newsletter
NAME:________________________________________________________________
EMAIL: ______________________________________________________________
Address:_______________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip:___________________________________________________________
Phone: ________________________________________________________________
What reptiles/amphibians do you own?__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
What other herps do you have experience with?____________________________________
How did you learn about BAARS?_______________________________________________
Are you interested in:
__Learning about something in particular
__ Field herping
__Photography
__Participating in shows
__Participating in educational events
BAARS Membership Secretary
c/o Palo Alto Junior Museum
1451 Middlefield Road
Palo Alto CA 94301-3351
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