Biologist Jared Maida shows off a rattlesnake at Mk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre. The centre is marking World Snake Day on Saturday, July 16 as it also celebrates its 10th anniversary. (Keith Lacey photo)
If you have any interest whatsoever in snakes – and the very important role they play in the South Okanagan ecology – you might want to mark July 16 on your calendar.
To help celebrate their 10th anniversary as well as World Snake Day, the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre is inviting all local residents to spend a few hours learning everything they wanted to know about snakes and more.
“We thought about a great way to celebrate the cultural centre’s 10th anniversary and thought it would be a great idea to hold a special celebration in collaboration with World Snake Day on July 16,” said biologist Jared Maida, who has spent the last three years working at the cultural centre and is the man in charge of running the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre Snake Research Program, which is sponsored by the Osoyoos Indian Band.
“We have a full day planned of sharing information, showing off the equipment we use and basically letting the people of this area know exactly what we’re doing up here when it comes to snake education and research.”
The Osoyoos Indian Band has helped fund a snake research program for the past 13 years even though most people in this region don’t know anything about the program and the idea on World Snake Day is to share valuable information that has been gathered, said Maida.
“We started doing snake research in this area about the time they started talking about building this cultural centre … 13 years ago,” he said. “The snake research program has continued since the centre opened 10 years ago.”
Maida will personally lead a talk about the program on the outdoor mezzanine at the cultural centre beginning at 10 a.m.
“We’ll talk about our education program and research that is going on here at the centre … and inform the public about all that we’ve been doing over the past 13 years.”
The cultural centre in Osoyoos has “become a leader in snake conservation and research for all of British Columbia and Western Canada for that matter,” he said.
There are seven species of snake spread across the South Okanagan, including the common rattlesnake, gopher snake, yellow-belly racer, desert night snake, common garter snake, terrestrial garter snake and rubber boa.
The South Okanagan gopher snake, rattlesnake and yellow-belly racer have all been listed as endangered species by federal authorities, he said.
Since 2004, the cultural centre has been conducting a radio telemetry program, where snakes are caught and fitted with radio transmitters and then tracked to determine where they like to live and their favourite habitat, he said.
Information has also been gathered about the dangers they face by habitat loss, predators and human contact, he said.
“What we do involves intense research and monitoring and work towards implementing improved conservation strategies and look at management options for all seven species,” he said.
Snakes come out of their nests in early April and traditionally return in late September or October, so that leaves a limited time to track and monitor them, he said.
Other events being offered on World Snake Day in Osoyoos include an open tour of the laboratory where Maida and his staff conduct their work, the regular Snakes Alive program that takes place at 11:30 a.m. each day and an information session where homeowners will be given tips on how to ensure snakes don’t wander onto their property, he said.
Anyone who attends will be entertained and informed, said Maida.
“I think it will be a fun day,” he said. “This is all about informing the public about what we’re doing with our snake program at the cultural centre and letting people know that snakes are very misunderstood creatures.
“They are complicated and demand respect, but if you give them respect, they can live in perfect harmony with us and there won’t be problems. They’re also very important to the entire ecology in the southern interior of B.C. and their continued survival is crucial.”
If there’s good response as he expects there will be, Maida said he hopes the cultural centre will host World Snake Day festivities on an annual basis.
For more information about World Snake Day activities, contact the cultural centre at 250-495-7901.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
