Page 6 - Lake Front News August 1 2019

Page 6/LAKE FRONT NEWS/August 1 - 7, 2019
Kristin Stanford, PhD -
South Bass Island By Maggie Kelch
Island Green Week Continued from page 1
Winery Tours, Middle Bass Is- land, Saturday August 3 - Par- ticipants will get a guided tour of the iconic Lonz Winery.
Historic Aquatic Visitor Center Tours with Wild Sat- urday Out-Reach Program at Put-in-Bay, August 3 - Visitors can stop by the Aquatic Vis- itors Center, about one mile west of downtown Put-in-Bay, to experience Lake Erie science up close. Eco-Tour & Fair, Put- in-Bay-Monday, August 5 and
Tuesday, August 6 on South Bass Island.
Miller Boat Line Stargazing Cruise, Put-in-Bay, Monday, August 5 - Passengers will have an amazing opportunity to enjoy the show from outer space as the ferry boat travels around the Lake Erie Islands.
Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife
People come to South Bass Island for many rea- sons. Kristin Stanford came for a snake - the Lake Erie Watersnake.
Although people know Kristin as the “Island Snake Lady,” her official title is Education & Out- reach Coordinator for the F. T. Stone Laboratory. Stone Lab, on Gibraltar Island, is Ohio State University’s is- land campus and research
Kristin Stanford will present a program during Island Green Week.
Center, Wild Tuesdays, “Slitherin’ Snakes”, Put- in-Bay, Tuesday, August 6 - The purpose of the Wild Tuesdays programs is to ed- ucate visitors and local res- idents about Ohio’s native wildlife by providing up- close and hands-on interac- tive experiences. The topic, Snakes, will be presented by Dr. Kristin Stanford from OSU’s Stone Labora- tory. Lantern Tour of His- toric Hotel Victory Grounds, Put-in-Bay, Tuesday, Au- gust 6 - South Bass Island State Park will host a tour
laboratory.
Kristin enjoys the
challenge of coordinating the logistics for their ed- ucational programs. “It’s fun. Every day is an ad- venture. You never know what you’re walking into,” she said.
Kristin came to South Bass as a graduate student from Northern Illinois Uni- versity in 2001, working on a Lake Erie Watersnake research project. At that time, the snake was listed as federally endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Since
of the famous Hotel Victory grounds. It will highlight various still-existing fea- tures of the Hotel Victory, with information shared by a local historian.
Lake Erie Islands His- toric Society Auction, Put- in-Bay, Thursday, August 8 - At Heineman Winery on Put-in-Bay. The annu- al auction of the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society will feature a very im- pressive selection of items donated by Put-in-Bay residents and businesses, many of which focus on
they live only around the western Lake Erie islands, the snakes could be gone forever if their population didn’t rebound. She split her time between Ohio and Illinois for several years.
Kristin moved to South Bass and became a full- time research associate for Stone Lab in 2003. She co- ordinated research, educa- tion and outreach programs as part of the recovery plan for the Watersnake.
Since humans were one of the reasons that the Wa- tersnake was endangered, Kristin’s education efforts were critical. During the summer of 2006, she drew nationwide attention to the plight of the snakes with an appearance on the Dis- covery Channel’s “Dirty
Put-in-Bay History. Historic South Bass
Island Lighthouse Tours, Put-in-Bay, Saturday Au- gust 10 - Guests will be able to tour the South Bass Is- land Lighthouse and learn about its history; climb its stairs up 60 feet to take in the stunning views of Put- in-Bay and Lake Erie from the top of the tower; and to walk the historic grounds that include a butterfly gar- den certified by Monarch Watch. The Lighthouse is listed on the National Reg- ister of Historic Places.
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Jobs with Mike Rowe.” Her efforts have been successful! The snake population has grown from about 2,000 in 1999 to nearly 12,000 now. The USFWS removed the Wa- tersnake from the Federal List of Endangered Wild-
life in 2011.
“I’m one of the fortu-
nate few biologists who saw a species that they were studying removed from the endangered list. It is really exciting,” Kris- tin said.
While she is busy with overseeing programs at Stone Lab, Kristin contin- ues to study the snakes. And, she’s teaching a course at Stone Lab. The topic? Herpetology, of course!
Kelleys Island Glacial Groove Tour and Geology Hike, Kelleys Island, Sat- urday, August 10 - Join the staff of Kelleys Island State Park for an opportu- nity to visit and view up close the largest glacial grooves in North America. Park staff will discuss the different theories of how these grooves were created and the history of the sur- rounding stone quarries.
For additional details go to lakeerieislandswild- life.com
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Sunday noon - 8 pm Mon.-Thur. 10 am - 8 pm Holidays excluded
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The Park Place Boat Club and The Boardwalk are proud to present their Dock & Dine.
The program provides a boater with a guaranteed dock Sunday through Thursday at
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Boardwalk Bucks good at The Keys, The Boardwalk, Rita’s Cantina, Local Color, Lobster Trap, Hooligans and Dairy Isle
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A Happy boater who spent only $20 for a dock
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Lake Front News
www.LakeErieVacations.com
at the bay (4 hour stay)
$15