| The Island Snakelady with South Bass Snakin' buddies Elise and Addison Torrence during 'Snake Day' at the Ohio Division of Wildlife Aquatic Visitors Center, July 2006. |
| In the summer of 2000, graduate student Kristin Stanford began assisting with a new radio telemetry research project on Kelleys Island. From the moment she arrived, islanders began calling her "the snakelady"...and it stuck! Kristin had the unique opportunity of being stuck in the right place at the right time. The field work for the project required her to spend lots of time following the snakes around and often led her to end up in residents backyards. Curious people asked questions, and she did something odd.....she answered! And she listened. Something residents said that others before her were not willing to do. |
| The island snake lady with a large adult Eastern Fox Snake, one of her favorite snakey friends! |
| One summer of research, turned into three as Kristin became the primary field researcher on the telemetry project. Work expanded to other islands and so followed "the island snakelady". Residents continued to ask questions and express concerns about confusing guidelines and the growing numbers of snakes popping up along their beaches. Kristin expressed these concerns to USFWS and ODW and began to act as a liaison between frustrated residents, the agencies trying to protect them and the LEWS themselves! Since 2003, Kristin has been the Lake Erie Watersnake Research and Outreach Coordinator and has been living and working on the islands. She is actively involved in all aspects of LEWS Reseach and Outreach.She currently spends her summers at Stone Laboratory on South Bass Island which acts as her base of operations. She writes a monthly news column for the Put-in-Bay Gazette and Kelleys Life newspapers called "Ask the Snakelady". Readers write in with questions and Kristin answers publishing the questions she thinks apply to a larger audience. Kristin also gives many public presentations to all different kinds of groups; College to elementary school; Herpetological Societies to Elderhostel Programs. Most often, she likes to bring live animals with her to allow the audience to have a live snake experience. |
| Kristin shows kids in Environmental Adventure Camp how to take measurments on LEWS. July 2006 |
| Kristin and 'lil snake man' Arthur Wolf give a presentation about snakes to Forestlawn Elementary School in Sheffield Lake, Ohio. |
