FORSYTH REPTILES RECEIVE NEW HOME
Slithering creatures will now be on display year-round in Nature Center’s 12x12 pen
KINGSTON, N.Y. » Ruby, a ninefoot long red-tailed boa constrictor, has a new home at the Forsyth Nature Center.
Center Caretaker Mark DeDea said that a new reptile pen has taken shape at the Lucas Avenue facility to house its growing number of slithering creatures.
The new pen will allow visitors, at any time of year, to check out the reptile collection including a carpet python named VooDoo and Iggy, a green Iguana.
The Friends of Forsyth Nature Center received a $10,000 donation in the fall of 2016 from the Severus Foundation and its creator David Laties to fund the new pen, DeDea said in an email.
Denise Weideman, a regular visitor with her husband Augie and their granddaughter Maci, worked as the connection be-
tween the donor and the volunteer center group.
“The Friends of the Forsyth Nature Center is always looking for ways to add interest to the facility and to provide more opportunities for up close interaction and education,” DeDea said. “The new building will not only add another exhibit, it will be used as a teaching tool for school trips, and visiting tours.”
For years, DeDea said that reptiles have been a standard feature at the Forsyth Nature Center. But, he said, something was missing.
“We have had reptiles for a long time but they are currently only visible during tours and outreach events in the warmer months,” DeDea said.
The building was constructed by Berardi Landscaping on an existing 12-foot-by-12-foot concrete pad.
“We feel that the conversion to a reptile house will be more of an attraction than the previous use as a demonstration pen,” DeDea said.
There will be eight new tanks for the smaller snakes and lizards plus two large enclosures for Ruby and Iggy.
Currently, the reptiles live in the center’s greenhouse. The greenhouse is heated in the winter but is closed to regular visitors because of the placement and layout of the building.
“After the move, the greenhouse will operate as a traditional greenhouse with tropical plants and areas for growing fruits and vegetables,” DeDea said.
“There is a need to place exotic pets and the Nature Center can provide a caring home for some,” DeDea said.
“These animals can serve as a great attraction but a valuable message that we would share is that exotic pets are a long term commitment and having one should not be taken lightly.”