Dmmetler Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Dd9 had a fairly low-key day, since most of today was business meetings. She signed in and got her packet of goodies this summer, which at first confused the poor volunteer, since usually kids are registered as "accompanying persons" not as the conference attendee, with an accompanying parent. This evening, she got to meet some of the people in the mentoring program. There are four students under age 18 attending officially through SSAR-one is DD's mentor, who has attended since she was 13, and the other two are high school age boys. DD's official mentor isn't here yet (apparently some flights were delayed), but she got to meet one of the other teens, and one of the PhD students took her under his wing. Turns out he writes one of DD's favorite herpetology blogs, so they were discussing DD's blog, reciprocal linking, and building her social media connections (like setting up a twitter feed so DD can tweet her writings as she blogs). We then went to a travelogue on 20 years of research on Central African amphibians, including a few really strange ones. DD filled up four pages of notes and drawings of frogs. She's been a little overwhelmed. Her faculty mentor was in meetings all day, so we've only seen her in passing once today, and the professor she's taken classes with won't arrive until tomorrow. Since the social tonight was pretty much "hang out in hotel bars", she and I went back to the hotel and she's watching Mythbusters :). Tomorrow, lots and lots of sessions and the student social. DD's various mentors should be more available (I get the distinct impression that she may have more support than she wants!). I'm thinking that at some point we should get all the moms who are accompanying their pre-bac kids to this together and put the kids at one table to talk snakes while we talk about mentoring young herpetologists-the teen boy's mom looked as overwhelmed as I feel. One down, four more days to go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrunchyGirl Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 What an amazing opportunity! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Thanks for the update! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurtis75 Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I'm glad you posted because it reminded me of a talk at our state conference this past weekend. One of the speakers gave a list of questions to ask when you meet with mentors. It made me think of your daughter and the conference so I meant to post it. You probably already have some of these questions but I thought it was a good list. What made the difference for you to become a leader in this field? I'd like to hear your story about how you got in to vocational field Most important lesson you've learned Key leaders in field I should pay attention Who are people who personally influenced you 5 books you've found most helpful in this field Magazines or Publications I should be reading Time and money aside what would you be doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 What a wonderful opportunity! Thanks for the update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 :coolgleamA: Thanks for the update! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a27mom Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Great update. I love hearing about your daughters adventures. Definitely think you should get the moms together :). What a great opportunity to connect with people with whom you have a unique commonality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 This morning was spent visiting vendors and creating a wish list of hundreds of dollars in books, donating money to the student book raffle in the hopes of getting more, and attending a lecture on 50 years of herpetology at the Savannah River Ecology Center-including a really, really neat project on the actual aggression of cottonmouth water moccasins (basically, if you stand near a snake, it won't actually bite, if you step on one, it will usually not bite, and even if you pick it up, they only actually bite about 10% of the time-very different from the public perception of cottonmouths as aggressive). This afternoon, lots more, plus a reception/dinner just for students and the opening reception at the TN aquarium (the TN aquarium with icthyology professors and grad students-can't wait) Oh, and I think a stuffed shark from the American Elasmobranch Society student store may come home with us. he's really cute... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakpak Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I've often wondered about the perhaps grossly inflated perception of water moccasins (cottonmouths). Being a field biologist I've heard from one extreme to the other about their aggressiveness or lack there of. As the sources I've heard conflicting reports from are seasoned wildlife biologists, I've often wondered if there are regional differences in behavior. Do you know if the SREC study was local or done range-wide. In general I'm cautious with all snakes, and took the aggressive stories with a grain of salt, but I've often wondered if regional differences in behavioral patterns might explain some of the huge variation in personal anecdotes that I've heard. Hehe, don't tell your DD that I think moccasins are ugly. Their fat bodies seem to stop so abruptly with a stub of a tail. Of course, I may be biased by society's perception, but I don't feel the same about rattlesnakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 I assume it was regional, so may not generalize. It's also a really protected area, so the animals probably wouldn't have nearly as many negative experience of humans compared to those in, say, a wildlife area that is open for hunting. I've noticed DD's snakes make obvious "feed me" behaviors if DD or I walk in the room, but not when DH does, even when it's feeding day, so they've learned that only certain humans will put a mouse in the tank. I could see wild snakes learning that this particular group of humans might pick them up, measure them, and take their picture, but that nothing worse is going to happen and therefore testing as less aggressive than snakes in an area where research isn't the primary focus. One thing I think is neat is that every session we've been at has given many many possibilities for future research. I know that's typical at research conferences, but I can practically hear DD's mind clicking away. I like rattlers-they just seem more aware and intelligent than most US snakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 I like rattlers-they just seem more aware and intelligent than most US snakes. I like any potentially dangerous critter that warns me fairly to stay away! I wish sting rays came equipped with warning rattles... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted July 31, 2014 Author Share Posted July 31, 2014 This afternoon so far has been grad student sessions, on various snake types, including one from Penn State indicating that cottonmouths who have higher levels of stress hormones in their system(indicating environmental stress) respond more by striking to acute stress, while less stressed snakes tend to respond in other ways and strike rarely (which was kind of a nice piggyback from this morning's session), Eastern Diamondback rattlesnakes really, really aren't all that common outside of pine savanna, even when the conditions appear to be right ( poor grad student had theorized that they'd be seen in marshland edges, only to have the snakes not cooperate with her), different species of snakes show the same population responses and growth responses to temperature changes, and if you bulldoze natural habitat and put in a sugarcane field in Swaziland, the snake population overall doesn't change, but you'll have fewe pythons and more cobras. DD was starting to fade a bit, so with the social events tonight, I made an executive decision to skip the next set of sessions, since they're mostly on topics that interest her less. For reference for other kids in this sort if situation, the single question that has thrown my DD most for a loop is "what are you most interested in" or "what do you want to do." Usually, she can just say she wants to be a herpetologist or that she wants to work with snakes, but here, everyone has a fine sub-topic of a subtopics, and wants more details. I hadn't thought to prepare her for that question. She also got into a discussion on how to attract and find snakes for research, which was much more involved than I might have imagined. Apparently every field herpetologist has their own set of tried and true methods :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 DD was starting to fade a bit, so with the social events tonight, I made an executive decision to skip the next set of sessions, since they're mostly on topics that interest her less. I think this is a wise decision! Rest, regroup, and recharge. Hope tonight is lots of fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted July 31, 2014 Share Posted July 31, 2014 Great that your daughter is enjoying herself :D My younger boy sleeps with the big shark soft toy from IKEA that is taller than him. I wish sting rays came equipped with warning rattles... Same goes for jellyfish :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 The student reception went pretty well. DD recognized one of the first people she talked to there as the author of the "Reptiles and Amphibians of Arkansas" book she has, and asked for his autograph-which led him to introduce her to a lot more big names in herpetology, many of which she already knew. I'm guessing that "director of herpetology-Smithsonian National Zoo" and "Curator of reptiles, Yale museum of Natural History" and authors of monographs on colubridine snakes of North America don't generally get requests for autographs from wide-eyed 9 yr olds :). The actual reception was a bit crowded, but we connected with some of the other pre-bac students and parents (and I had a chance to talk to the mom of a 14 yr old, which was nice). DD's mentor arrived halfway through, too. Afterwards was the opening reception/dinner at the TN aquarium. The TN aquarium is pretty amazing. The TN aquarium full of biologists is very amazing. Lots of fish, lots of turtles, a few snakes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 This morning-anole habitat preferences, copperheads and roads, thermoregulation in timber rattlesnakes, and conservation of butler's garter snakes (lesson from that one-if you discover in research that a neighboring species believed to be a hybrid is actually probably a precursor species and you let hose involved in making regulations know, they both cut your funding and decide that the threatened animal isn't so threatened and doesn't require protection, leading into even bigger declines.) DD commented that she isn't saying much because she doesn't fit in. I pointed out that she was a 9 yr old at a professional conference. she can "not fit in" by asking questions and showing her interest, or she can "not fit in" by being shy and scared to speak up-her choice, but the first is a lot more likely to open doors for her that might be really neat and fun, and the 2nd is likely to send a message that 9 is just too young for this. She's enjoying it, she's getting a lot out of it-but she needs to show is somewhere other than the hotel room with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 1, 2014 Author Share Posted August 1, 2014 The sessions this afternoon mostly went really well. Most of them were in a symposium on ethology, which DD found interesting, especially ones on crocodilian intelligence and snake-primate interactions. The best, though, was a session outside the symposium on pine snakes and road behavior. The session before had been cancelled, so when we got there a bit early, DD was able to talk to the PhD student presenter and his faculty advisor before the session. That's one of only two sessions where she's asked questions, and the only person she's asked questions about her research. I also think she might be now thinking favorably on Drexel ;). The poster sessions were mostly a bust-too many people, but she did get to talk to some grad students at a school fairly close to us (a couple of hours away) that has a PhD herpetology program and got an invitation to visit their lab and to come to a symposium they're having this fall. We have lunch scheduled with a small group tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bakpak Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 Glad you're having fun. It's a great town for a conference, especially if you have a reception at the Aquarium like you did! I understand about not fitting in. It's hard if you don't have a herd or two of people that you tend to hang out with, or unless you just keep running into old friends. The next conference will be easier I bet - sounds like your DD is doing great and she's making good contacts. Don't let her beat herself up...these are draining events and overwhelming for most folks, even those who love meetings (like myself!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 This morning was lots of snake responses to habitat changes (for example, if you have a lot of invasive plants that block Sun that you clean out only along state park trails, guess where copperheads hang out?) and controlled burning, the role of reaching children for conservation (DD's panel-she didn't say much), and translocation for conservation purposes or to remove snakes from areas around humans. DD's showing signs if fatigue, and so am I, but honestly, the only people who seem really active and awake are those who only are here for the weekend. I figure if the professionals i. The field are allowed to look exhausted, so am I! Actually, as one of the other pre-bac moms commented, the kids are doing better than the adults at this point. We're going to lunch with folks from the mentoring program. I have probably sent more texts this week than any prior week in my life, because apparently college and grad students only communicate via texting. DD has filled one composition book with notes and sketches, and is now starting on a second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 For reference for other kids in this sort if situation, the single question that has thrown my DD most for a loop is "what are you most interested in" or "what do you want to do." Usually, she can just say she wants to be a herpetologist or that she wants to work with snakes, but here, everyone has a fine sub-topic of a subtopics, and wants more details. I hadn't thought to prepare her for that question. Sounds like a question that might be best answered with reflecting it back to the adult. I'm a little overwhelmed with all of the specialties on display here, what made you get into [insert topic]? It feels like there is so much to choose from, is there something you wish you could go back and learn more about? If you were starting fresh, what direction would you want to explore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted August 2, 2014 Share Posted August 2, 2014 What an amazing opportunity. Sounds like it's been a real adventure. I wouldn't be too tough on her about not asking a lot of questions. She is putting a lot of faces to names and learning a lot. She can follow up with emails and will be remembered as that interesting young lady from the conference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 The lunch went really well-the older girl and DD really hit it off when they had a chance to talk without a group, and the older girl was able to talk about the logistics of being young and at professional events-she agrees with DD that, for the most part, the professors are more than willing to spend time and talk to and take the pre-bac students seriously, but the grad students and undergrads often aren't. DD was relieved to hear that, since one of her frustration at the posters was that she got conversations like "Do you like snakes?", when DD actually wanted to hear about the student's research. The mentor's mom said it got better after her DD was about 14-15 and had been at he conference a couple of times because she was known, and because at that point, her mom felt better about leaving her DD at the conference during the day (apparently, this year it's simply that it's a fun family vacation, but I'm glad mom came to lunch with us, because it gave me someone who understands the exact position I'm in. DD asked to take a break and skip a couple of sessions this afternoon, which I definitely agree with-we'll go back in a couple if hours for one on smooth free snakes that she's interested in, mostly because she wants to see how they collected them in the field for research-she Really wants to herp one of the little guys in the wild and they're hard to even see, and one on gopher tortoises, plus the 2nd half of posters. The book raffle also closes out, so hopefully she'll get a few (if not, I foresee spending a lot of money in the vendor hall). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 2, 2014 Author Share Posted August 2, 2014 This afternoon was smooth green snakes and desert tortoises-apparently using lands for wind turbines actually may benefit the latter, the theory being that maybe the turbines keep away birds that may prey on the young. DD asked a question as to whether they'd delineated their findings by age of animal, and they hadn't. She won one book in the raffle, although not either of the two ultra-expensive ones that she's dying to get. Maybe tomorrow... Tonight the younger kids are getting some social time-both pre-bacs and some of the participant families. There are quite a few kids, but so far, we only saw them at the aquarium. I think DD will enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 3, 2014 Author Share Posted August 3, 2014 Today has been a good final day. Three of the sessions DD had planned to attend ended up cancelled, so she had a lower-key day than planned, which was good. She had a multi-session series on IR imaging and thermal sensing in Burmese pythons, including a really neat project where they'd taken wild-caught snakes from the Everglades, taught them to indicate when they detected thermal shifts, and then discovered that the snakes can reliably detect shifts down to the limits of their equipment (.5 degrees C). What DD took from it is that it's possible to train snakes and how they managed to do it. Between that and a couple of other ideas, I have the feeling her pet snakes may not be happy that she went to this conference. Most exciting (for me) was that a bio professor from Penn State tracked DD down to tell her just how impressed she was with DD's obvious interest and focus in her session and the depth of her questions. DD was able to tell her that she was most interested in ecology and conservation, and that she hadn't really thought about colleges yet, but that she wanted to bring her snakes when she goes. We have a lot of people to keep in contact with-and a lot of thank you notes for her to write. She's one tired, but happy kid. I'm a tired, but happy, mom. Now to process everything.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted August 3, 2014 Share Posted August 3, 2014 What DD took from it is that it's possible to train snakes and how they managed to do it. Between that and a couple of other ideas, I have the feeling her pet snakes may not be happy that she went to this conference. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 6, 2014 Author Share Posted August 6, 2014 http://wutc.org/post/biodiversity-southeast-helps-kickoff-scientific-conference Radio article we heard this morning about the conference. It's more focused on the fish side, but still a neat spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland Mist Academy Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 :coolgleamA: We were just looking at fish scale growth rings under a microscope earlier this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
purpleowl Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 I just wanted to thank you for sharing. It's really cool to read about what your DD is doing and how you're walking through it with her. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 7, 2014 Author Share Posted August 7, 2014 DD just found out she won the CRC press book giveaway at the conference-which means the 1273 page comprehensive reference of all living and extinct snake species will be heading her way. She's a bouncy kid- and I admit I'm kind of happy to be able to take a $150 book out of my Amazon wish list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerileanne99 Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 DD just found out she won the CRC press book giveaway at the conference-which means the 1273 page comprehensive reference of all living and extinct snake species will be heading her way. She's a bouncy kid- and I admit I'm kind of happy to be able to take a $150 book out of my Amazon wish list. Woo hoo!!! Couldn't have gone to a more appreciative home:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 That's wonderful! And she will always have it as a reminder of her first conference. You should write the conference name and dates inside the cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 12, 2014 Author Share Posted August 12, 2014 DD and my blog posts on the conference Mine: http://makingmusicwithkids.blogspot.com/2014/08/of-conferences-and-king-cobras.html DD's http://www.allissnakes.blogspot.com/2014/08/jmih-2014.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 The books arrived today! Every kid is excited about a 1273 page comprehensive catalog of all living and extinct snake species with no pictures except for the cover, right? The other book is a ethnoherpetology text, focusing on venomous species. Light reading, right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space station Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 Because of the photos and stories about the recent Fields medal winner, somehow I imagine this photo being part of a montage in 20 years celebrating her accomplishments in her field! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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