Although I cite social media as one of ASP’s main methods of education, I often question whether we’re just preaching to the choir. Our followers probably already like snakes, or they wouldn’t follow Snake Advocate, right? Even if that’s true, you never know what could make a difference, even save a life.
Following our first #SnakeHero post on a rattlesnake getting caught in (and rescued from) bird-netting, we tweeted a story about wildlife-friendly ways to protect your garden:
How to protect your garden (and snakes) without using deadly netting: http://t.co/u0id2ECxTP pic.twitter.com/tUmVwHkJ2I
— Snake Advocate (ASP) (@SnakeAdvocate) June 9, 2015
And then this happened:
@SnakeAdvocate So, I felt really guilty about my garden netting when I saw this. We have a snake-friendly yard. I've just removed all of it.
— Mrs. Hood (@ECBlade) June 10, 2015
Yes, Mrs. Hood was already one of the converted, a snake-lover. But she had no idea that bird-netting can be deadly to snakes and other wildlife. Our little tweet saved her from having to learn the hard way, and potentially saved the life of her beloved black snake:
@SnakeAdvocate A gorgeous black snake lives under our barn. He's been here 3 yrs & I'd be devastated if I hurt him. TY for making me think!
— Mrs. Hood (@ECBlade) June 10, 2015
No, THANK YOU Mrs. Hood for being a #SnakeHero! We can’t all be The Best Biologist on Twitter, but we can all do our part to raise awareness about snake conservation issues.