A Home for Herps Is Also a Place for People

Abstract

In the Piedmont region of North Carolina, USA, a rich herptofauna lives largely unnoticed by the general populace. Many youth are unaware of the rich diversity of life that our local woodlands and wetlands harbor as well as the specific habitat needs of these various reptiles and amphibians (herptofauna, or “herps”). For the past four years we have conducted a herpetology program for high school students to introduce them to these elusive organisms, their specific habitats and connections to the global environment. Our students have constructed rich science content and science process understandings but, most importantly, we claim that students have developed a sense of place.