It's Starting To Warm Up Again!!!

I have just been reading this article where a 17 year old appears to have been bitten by a brown snake while walking in bushland.

The weather is starting to warm up again, so now is a good time to remind everyone about the services that Working with Wildlife can provide.

Whether it be "in person" training and awareness sessions, catching and first aid equipment, or something as simple as an e-Book, or online training course to get a better understanding of snakes and their behaviour, it is worth considering having a look at the Working with Wildlife website to see what we have to offer.

Remember, it has been a relatively wet winter throughout Australia this year, so there is more undergrowth around and as the weather warms up, this means there are more places for snakes to hide.

If nothing else, make sure you download a Snake Bite First Aid Instruction Sheet to keep in your car - hopefully you will never have to use it, but it is handy to know that it is in the glovebox just in case you, or someone you know, is unfortunate enough to be bitten by a snake.

Check Out The USA e-Book!!!

Long time readers of this blog would be aware that Working with Wildlife also has a website to learn about snakes of the USA - if you have never had a look at it, click here - there is a heap of information that makes for fascinating reading.

After many hours of work, the Snakes & Us In The USA - A Sensible Perspective e-Book has been completed and is now available.

If you are interested in snakes from other parts of the world (for all you readers outside the USA), if you intend to travel to the USA (as an example, the Australian Dollar is very strong against the U.S. Dollar at the moment - it might just be the right time to visit the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty and all the other wonderful sights of America), or you are simply looking for a fascinating read on an animal that is greatly misunderstood, then this e-Book is well worth a read.

We look forward to hearing your feedback on the book - and don't forget our Australian e-Book - it might be worth getting both just to compare the differences.

It Is Great To Hear Positive Feedback

Working with Wildlife recently received an email from a course attendee that we would like to share with you -

"I have completed a few courses since I did yours last year and I must say keep up the good work. By far the course you offered was far more thorough and had a far better safety focus on it (may be because industry courses have a higher safety aspect to the course??). Most other courses have been given with an implied knowledge of snakes which can, in some cases, be a disadvantage."

It is great to get this type of feedback because safety (of both the attendees and the reptiles) play a huge part in all of Working with Wildlife's training courses and awareness sessions.

Check out our website, see the courses we have on offer and consider doing our Online Snake Awareness course, or perhaps have a read our e-Book - we are confident that you will gain a much better understanding of snakes and their behaviour after doing so.

Remember, you can always contact us if there is any aspect of snakes and snake awareness that interests you - we are always happy to discuss any aspect of this subject with anyone interested in the topic.

Working with Wildlife USA Goes Live!!!!

We have just finished the Working with Wildlife USA website and updated the USA blog - check them out to learn about snakes and their behaviour in the USA.

Keep following these posts - we are working on a number of very exciting projects at the moment, so stay tuned for some VERY interesting developments on Working with Wildlife and our training courses!!!!

Introducing The New Business!!!!

For a number of years now we have been providing quality Snake Awareness and Snake Handling training via our old company - Balanced with Wildlife.

If you have a look at our old website you will notice that there have been a few internal changes and we would now like to introduce you to our new business Working with Wildlife.

As a customer you can be confident that little has changed, except for our name and our revamped website. Our contact numbers remain the same, you will still speak to the same team members you know through discussions over the past couple of years and you will receive the same quality training and information that you have come to expect from our business.

Check out the new website and contact us if you would like to know more - the same quality information is there as it always has been and there are also a few new surprises!!!!

Another Successful Working With Venomous Snakes Course

Balanced with Wildlife staff are back from another successful 3 day Working with Venomous Snakes course, this time for Rio Tinto in Tom Price, Western Australia.

The feedback from the course ranged from -

Brilliant, simply brilliant! Delivered by very professional trainers. This is the second course I have completed and by far the best. I was slightly apprehensive at the start but my fears were soon put to rest very quickly. The guys were brilliant, concise and friendly, very approachable and ran the course professionally. Thank you. Cheers.

to -

Graphics/slides could be bigger. Add basic catching tools into the price of the course. Overall very good. I learnt a heap. Very informative on identification and handling skills. Cheers!

We would like to thank all participants for their feedback - our trainers are currently reviewing our graphics/slides to see if they can be improved in any way and we have already been in contact with all participants and a large number of them have already ordered our catching kit packages.

Thanks go out to the staff at Rio Tinto Tom Price - our presenters commented on how well they were looked after whilst there and how receptive all participants were on the course.

Another Successful Snake Awareness Session

Balanced with Wildlife presented a 4 hour Snake Awareness Session to staff at the District Council of Mallala today and it was a resounding success!! Julian Craig was the presenter at the session and the feedback is already back on how good the presentation was.

One attendee writes -

"Riveting experience. Julian was the best and most interesting course instructor we have had in the last 10 years. The subject was very pertinent to our rural area with snakes an issue we have to deal with in our everyday lives. SENSATIONAL! Thank you"

Just to prove that we are being impartial, here is the "worst" comment we received (and there were over 20 feedback forms received) -

"Top course. Not boring and learnt a lot. Very interesting"!!!!

Well done Julian - if the comment above is the "worst" we ever get, then we have nothing to worry about!!

Just another example of the level of professionalism you receive when Balanced with Wildlife conducts a course for you - if there is a chance that your staff could ever come into contact with a snake in their workplace contact us and we will be happy to provide you with training or awareness sessions that are second to none.

The Tragedy In Pakistan

I am just reading this article from Pakistan with a very heavy heart - it discusses the increase in deaths by snake bite to children in Pakistan due of the unavailability of antivenin because of the current floods.

This issue is very close to the hearts of Directors of Balanced with Wildlife because a close friend of ours, now living in Australia but originally from Pakistan, has family still living there who are currently raising donations to help the Pakistani people in the flood ravaged areas - fortunately our friend's family's region was not affected by the floods.

Our thoughts go out to the Pakistani people affected by these floods and we hope that as much antivenin as you require to save the children and anyone else bitten by a snake is not far away.

Another Brilliant Presentation

Julian Craig from Balanced with Wildlife conducted another brilliant 4 hour Snake Awareness Session yesterday, this time for the Adelaide Hills Council.

Here's some feedback that has already been received on the session -

"Julian -- Excellent snake awareness course this morning at Heathfield Depot, much appreciated.

I would be grateful if you would send me the details of the Norton Summit meeting you mentioned, to be held on Sept 21.

Cheers

Brian"

and here is Julian's response -

"Hi Brian

Thanks for the feedback.

The session I spoke to you about is a Community Snake Awareness Session being held at the Norton Summit Natural Resource Centre, 1 Crescent Drive, Norton Summit (easterly, across the road from the Norton Summit Hotel).

Date is 21st of September 2010 and it starts at 7pm and will go until about 9.30pm.

All are welcome.

Contact Val Hunt on 8390 1891 for more info"

If you live in Adelaide and are interested in this subject, give Val Hunt at the Norton Summit Natural Resource Centre a call to attend the session on the 21st of September - it will give you a fascinating insight into these largely misunderstood creatures.

Check Out Living with Wildlife USA!!!!

After a heap of work and many - MANY - long hours, Living with Wildlife has finally launched it's USA website!!!

Check it out - there is a heap of information on snakes of the United States and a snake bite first aid sheet specific to the region can be downloaded free of charge.

An e-Book is soon to be released and you can even do an Online Snake Awareness course specific to snakes of the region.

While the e-Book is in the process of being published, you can buy the Online Snake Awareness course for a 60% reduction in price - you even get a Certificate of Completion at the end of it, so it is well worth considering doing the course before the price goes up if you have an interest in this subject and want to learn more about the behaviour of snakes from the USA.

Snake Bite Increase in India

I have just been reading this article from India which highlights the increase in snake bite deaths when monsoons cause floods that destroy the snake's natural habitat.

There are interesting comments by a college Head of Zoology and it is well worth a read if you are interested in this topic.

Graphic Examples From Cambodia

Later this year Living with Wildlife is hoping to receive funding so that presenters will be able to travel to Cambodia to teach people how to greatly reduce the chance of being bitten by snakes.

I have just been looking at some graphic examples of what snake bite has done to Cambodian victims (the examples are not pleasant, but have a look at them here, here and here.

If these types of injuries are to be reduced it is imperative that the Cambodian people be given the opportunity to receive the type of training that Living with Wildlife can offer.

Fingers crossed we receive the funding.

More Than Just Snakes To Worry About

I have just been reading this article from New Zealand about a marathon runner who took part in the Gobi Desert ultra-marathon in China.

The threat of snake bite was only one of many dangers these runners faced - you have to be a special type of person to even consider attempting something like this!!!

Another Successful Presentation

Julian Craig from Living with Wildlife conducted another successful presentation yesterday, this time for the students and staff at the Elizabeth Downs Primary School.

We received some wonderful feedback on the presentation that we would like to share -

"Thank you so much for coming to our school yesterday. The children just loved it and we (the staff) couldn't believe how well behaved they were.

Their attention span is usually very short and to listen for over an hour is quite an achievement!

Julian - I thought you were engaging and enthusiastic and pitched it just at the right level.

The staff were impressed with the questions that their children asked and all in all it was a great success.

Thank you again."

The most satisfying aspect of these presentations is that it gives Living with Wildlife the opportunity to teach children the truth about snakes and their behaviour and we hope that through this education the stigma associated with these fascinating creatures will be taken away.

Thanks go out to Elizabeth Downs Primary School for allowing us to present to their students and staff and if there are any other schools or youth groups interested in learning more about this fascinating topic just contact us and we will be happy to arrange a presentation.

More Successful Presentations

Living with Wildlife staff are just home from a very successful trip in Western Australia where they have conducted 2 day Working with Venomous Snakes - Remote Regions courses for staff of John Holland Tunneling in Karratha and then a second Remote Regions course, this time for a composite group of attendees including staff from the Department of Environment and Conservation WA, this time held in Kensington WA, a suburb of Perth.

The feedback already received is that the courses went very well - all attendees eagerly participated in all aspects of the course and negotiations are already underway with John Holland and DEC WA for further courses to be held in the near future.

Thanks go out to all attendees of these courses - Living with Wildlife staff can present anywhere anytime, but it is only through attendee's active participation on our courses do they then become a success.

Thanks also go out to our presenters - Julian Craig and a new member of the Living with Wildlife team - Roger Jackson who also owns Naturaliste Reptile Park in WA.

As always, the feedback received from attendees was that the presenters were fantastic and their presentation skills were of the highest quality.

Another Successful Presentation

Julian Craig is back from conducting another Living with Wildlife presentation over the weekend, this time for the SA Ambulance Service in Whyalla.

The presentation was an absolute success with all participants getting a much better understanding of snakes and the way they act when confronted by humans.

Thank you to SA Ambulance Service for allowing Living with Wildlife the opportunity to give their members a better understanding of snakes and their behaviour.

If you are part of a recreational group, or perhaps you have staff that may come into contact with snakes as part of their duties, perhaps it is worth contacting Living With Wildlife to see if one of their presentations is worth attending.