Outdoor Safety for Outdoor Exploration

Mooshu has a special role to play in Fitzgerald’s professional life, too. “Mooshu is super friendly – in a snake friendly way,” explains Fitzgerald.

For those of us who may not spend as much time in natural areas as, say, a Forest Service ecologist, walking outdoors with a snake on our shoulders is a big jump. Natural areas and their inhabitants may feel intimidating, foreign, or threatening. There’s a lot to look out for such as snakes, wasps, poison ivy, and ticks. But being outdoors doesn’t have to be scary. Mooshu and Fitzgerald are doing their part to help alleviate some of those fears.

At a recent event in Chattahoochee National Forest, the organization Get Black Outside and the Forest Service hosted activities for Black youth from metropolitan centers, specifically Atlanta and Nashville. The goal was to “introduce everyone to shared natural resources, such as the national forests, and foster an appreciation for outdoor activities,” explains Fitzgerald.

As the Nature Hike and Safety Talk event leader, Fitzgerald worked with students of all ages and their adult chaperones to address some of the basic safety concerns of being out in natural areas.

“I led the students through a trick quiz, where I challenged them to point out the venomous snakes in a lineup of all of the venomous snakes of Georgia,” says Fitzgerald. “This was to demonstrate that unless you’re 100% certain of the species, a snake should never be handled.” Fitzgerald continues, “I then gave a talk on how to handle situations where a snake may be encountered and other tips on general safety.”

Participants also got to learn a little about herpetology. Fitzgerald says, “I used Mooshu as a prop when describing snake behavior and biology. Also, as an extremely friendly snake, he was a great demonstration to be kind to snakes and avoid killing them.”

Fitzgerald also shared some other safety pointers, like how to identify poison ivy and tick safety. “We learned to identify ticks, identified common areas you’d encounter them, then discussed their removal and monitoring the bite area for potential disease symptoms,” says Fitzgerald.

“My hope is that they left these talks with a bit more appreciation for nature and with a little bit less fear of it.”

While pointing out some of the dangers to be aware of in nature may seem to discourage future visits, knowledge is power. Fitzgerald explains, “All of this was under the general umbrella of ‘know where to dedicate your concern.’ The students and the adults were very receptive to the ideas, and my hope is that they left these talks with a bit more appreciation for nature and with a little bit less fear of it.”

With these safety pointers, it was time to really enjoy what natural areas have to offer. One of our favorite things? Inspiring the next generation of natural resource scientists.

Fitzgerald and the participants went on a short nature walk through Chattahoochee National Forest. Using our UV bead activity, the students collected UV observations using UV bead bracelets they made before the walk. Fitzgerald used the bracelets to help students make connections between sun exposure and plant growth. “The shaded side [of the path] was filled with ferns and other shade-tolerant plants, including many native species, while the sun-exposed area had no ferns and many invasive species.” Fitzgerald used the UV beads to point out the differences in the two areas and the impacts of their UV exposure.

Learning more about natural hazards can give visitors the confidence to explore natural areas on their own. Who knows? Maybe Fitzgerald and Mooshu inspired a budding herpetologist or a future ecologist who will study invasive plants. 🙂