CONSERVATION CAST E.10 with David Steen

During this episode of the Conservation Cast, Maya spoke with Dr. David Steen, a Herpetologist, and founder of The Alongside Wildlife Foundation. Steen, a wildlife ecologist, and conservation biologist, discussed the conservation challenges wild snakes populations face and previous research projects on turtles and land management strategies in the longleaf forest landscape. David Steen is also a renowned scientific communicator who uses social media to debunk common snake myths and hoaxes in conjunction with wanting to teach people about the natural world and all its inhabitants. Maya and David also discussed the importance social media plays in scientific communication, the effect negative media portrayal of snakes has on population numbers, and the publishing of his first book entitled "Secrets of Snakes: The Science Beyond the Myths". The Alongside Wildlife Foundation Maya’s community raised $556 for The Alongside Wildlife Foundation, a grassroots conservation organization who strive to ensure humans and wildlife are able to live harmoniously with one another.