Check out the Reptile Awareness Day 2010 contest to benefit one lucky conservation group.
The contest is over and we have a winner! The International Reptile Conservation Foundation received the most legitimate votes and will receive a $500 donation from ReptileChannel.com and REPTILES magazine in honor of Reptile Awareness Day.
Christopher L. Duncan won the raffle and will be receiving a $100 gift certificate from Fluker’s, and a library of 20 books from the highly regarded Advanced Vivarium Systems Herpetocultural Library.
Reptile Awareness Day happens every year on October 21. On this day, reptile fanatics can celebrate and share their passion, and educate others who may not know about these amazing creatures called reptiles.
Reptile Awareness Day
Though we can’t pinpoint exactly when Reptile Awareness Day started, or by whom, we certainly believe that it is an important day, and REPTILES magazine and ReptileChannel.com have taken the lead in promoting and popularizing Reptile Awareness Day. Oddly too, Reptile Awareness Day has a pretty RAD acronym!
At REPTILES magazine and ReptileChannel.com, we hope to achieve some good in honor of Reptile Awareness Day. Last year we held a Reptile Awareness Day contest, and once again, we have something very special planned.
Below you will see a list of six conservation organizations that work with herps. One of them will receive a $500 donation from ReptileChannel.com. The one that gets it is entirely up to you. In the comment section below, provide at least 50 words telling us which organization you think should receive the money and why. The conservation group that gets the most votes wins! Multiple comments from the same person will be disregarded, so leave only ONE!
There’s more! Anyone who leaves a comment will be entered into a raffle to win all of these prizes:
1. a $100 gift certificate from Fluker’s, which can be used toward a variety of reptile products, as well as feeder insects!
2. a library of 20 books from the highly regarded Advanced Vivarium Systems Herpetocultural Library, started by the Father of Herpetoculture, Philippe de Vosjoli (who also wrote a number of the books, as well)! The raffle winner will receive books about a wide range of herps, from monitors, corn snakes and turtles to boas, chameleons, tortoises and more. There’s even a tarantula book for herp fans who also like spiders!
Make sure you leave your e-mail in the “e-mail” field of the comment section. This is not publicly displayed and we need it to get you your prize!
Get to it! Visit the conservation groups’ websites, make your decision and post your comment here – remember, leave only one! – by 11:59 Pacific Time on October 29. The winner will be announced here on Monday, November 1.
Groups
International Reptile Conservation Foundation (IRCF) (www.ircf.org)
Gharial Conservation Alliance (www.gharialconservation.org)
Sea Turtle Conservancy (www.conserveturtles.org)
Amphibian Ark (www.amphibianark.org)
Turtle Conservation Fund (www.turtleconservationfund.org)
More Ways to Promote RAD
1 . Donate to one of the many great reptile conservation or legal programs, such as PIJAC or USARK.
2. On top of joining and donating to a legal organization, write letters to your local and national representatives concerning local and national legislation that would affect your reptile rights, and the health and safety of your reptiles.
3. Bring your pet reptile to a school for show and tell. Whether you are a parent, teacher or student, all levels through college can benefit from a quick show and tell, and lesson on your favorite herp. Make sure to check with the school’s administration beforehand!
4. Leave a copy of REPTILES magazine in your doctor’s, dentist’s, or vet’s office. Who knows how many people could be exposed to the wonderful world of reptiles! Give a gift subscription to a friend or family member, or even your local library. Who knows how many children could learn about reptiles from just that one subscription!
5. Go and buy that new reptile you’ve been eyeing. Why wait until the holidays?
6. Surprise the kids with a day off school (and for you work) and spend Reptile Awareness Day at your local zoo. Check out their reptile exhibit and marvel at the wondrous and exotic reptiles they house. Or, spend the day herping. Herping can be a fun and educational experience for the entire family.
7. Make a reptile resolution to go to at least one reptile show before the next Reptile Awareness Day rolls back around.
8. Print out some of ReptileChannel’s Fun & Games to be shared with your class. These are also great for homeschoolers. Bring them in for your teacher, or pass them out to your child’s class.
9. Join a herp club or society. There’s much to learn and share at herp club and society events.
10. Make an appointment to get your reptile a check up at your local reptile vet.
These are just a few things that you can do to make others “aware” of these unique and amazing creatures. Many reptiles are endangered and at risk of going extinct. We need days like this to promote reptiles and make sure that these wonderful animals are around for future generations to enjoy.
