A rare event graced Suffield High School for the first time ever. Suffield High School’s own Herpetology Club hosted a reptile handling course during Wildcat on December 11th. The course was open to all grades, freshmen through seniors. The club, with an amazing turnout of 15 students during this 45-minute period, taught excited students about different reptiles, including the Herpetology Club’s mascot, T-Rex the Bearded Dragon, and two of the high schools’ agriscience corn snakes, Leo and Checkers.
Eager explorers of reptilian species gathered in the Media Center for a detailed lecture about corn snakes and bearded dragons, led by the Herpetology Club President, Corey Oliveira (sophomore). Club members, along with Oliveira, Genevieve Distefano (freshman), Dominik Tofil (sophomore), and Kai Skorupski (junior), watched over the reptiles and assisted students in handling them with care.
“The members that helped with the event were incredible in aiding in the management of the group…” Oliveira spoke generously, “…I’m grateful they were there to help me and to teach others what we had practiced as a club.”
“Considering there were a good deal of other people who came to see what was going on that hadn’t signed up for the event, I would say it generated interest just seeing people huddled together like we were.” Oliveira mentioned excitedly. Oliveira expressed a great deal of delight while explaining that students, who hadn’t originally signed up for the event, were drawn to the reptiles with great curiosity. The Herpetology Club welcomed everyone to the course with open arms.
Oliveira would also like to encourage interested students to join the Herpetology Club’s Google Classroom with code: fe35nh.
Herpetology Club meets weekly after school on Mondays, 2:15 – 3:15 pm
