PRESS-ENTERPRISE (Riverside, California) 29 January 06 Snake illustrations draw crowd to Hidden Valley Nature Center (Jerry Soifer )
Riverside: There was a little wiggle room among the children, parents and scout leaders squeezed into the headquarters of the Hidden Valley Nature Center on Saturday.
There was just enough space for 12 snakes to wrap themselves around the hearts or minds of those inside and turn their fears into respect for the snakes' place in nature.
Judy Nieburger, a self-described snake enthusiast and former mayor of Moreno Valley, brought the animals to illustrate her lecture at Duck Daze. The event featured wildlife, wetlands, hayrides and exhibitions by groups such as the Arlington High School Science Club.
Nieburger's lecture drew a standing-room-only crowd. The room was so full that Nieburger asked Derrick Carrillo, 12, of Riverside to give up his chair. Derrick moved to the front of the room and held the respective snakes as Nieburger's talk moved from one to another.
"I was a little bit nervous," said Derrick. "I learned that garden snakes get killed because people think they're dangerous like rattlesnakes. I didn't like snakes but learning about them today was awesome."
Nieburger said people can cope with their fear of snakes by respecting their place in nature as part of the food chain.
Snakes eat rodents, gophers, bugs and other snakes, and are eaten by hawks and eagles.
She displayed a model of a cobra and showed how a snake charmer entices the creature out of its basket. She demonstrated the various bite marks of snakes.
Sylvia Marquez, of Riverside, took a picture of her daughters, Jerika, 17, and Sydney, 4, with small snakes.
"We have rattlesnakes where we live," said Sylvia. "I won't touch them."
Some of Nieburger's snakes have been handled by thousands of children.
"They've just had a bad rap all through civilization of being things that are harmful," said Nieburger. "People have to learn to leave them alone."
Snake illustrations draw crowd to Hidden Valley Nature Center