This season, doors will open at 6:30 PM, giving everyone time to enjoy light refreshments, visit with fellow members and guests, and settle in before the program begins at 7:00 PM.
Cold-blooded Neighbors: Reptiles and Amphibians in Your Backyard
What do frogs, turtles, snakes and salamanders have to do with birds and a healthy backyard?
Reptiles and amphibians are an important part of the ecosystems right outside our doors. Join Jesse Davis for a look at these often-overlooked neighbors, including their fascinating relationships with birds of prey and other wildlife. Jesse will also explore how gardening and landscaping choices can create habitat for reptiles and amphibians, the benefits they bring to our gardens, and even the evolutionary connections between birds and reptiles.
BIO
Jesse Davis, MEEd. serves as the Metro 4-H Youth Development Educator for Lake and McHenry Counties. Jesse is striving to improve the lives of youth through outstanding investigative learning, hands on exploration and environmental education programming. The goal is that through direct educational opportunities Lake and McHenry County youth will feel confident and inspired while developing the skills and abilities to be future leaders, community champions and successful and thriving adults.
Jesse comes to the University of Illinois Extension with extensive professional experience including program development, evaluation, environmental education, and interpretation, horticulture, biology, ecology, and research. He has also dedicated his career to fostering people's love for the natural world through work with the USDA Forest Service in Alaska, Pacific Whale Foundation in Hawaii, Center for Environmental Education in Duluth, MN, Kenya Institute for Organic Farming, Global Environmental Management Program and horticulture and nature programming with the Chicago Park District and its conservatories.
Originally from Minnesota, Jesse has lived and studied all over the world, including Kenya, Australia, Alaska, and Hawaii. Jesse started his educational career with Hennepin Technical College in the Twin Cities where he completed the Horticulture program. Jesse then earned a bachelor’s degree in resource management: Environmental Education and Interpretation option at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, and a master’s degree in environmental education from the University of Minnesota Duluth.