Visitors to the Sanctuary

IMG_3282 (2) IMG_3283 (2) IMG_3284 IMG_3285 (2) IMG_3286 (2) IMG_3287 IMG_3288 (2) IMG_3289 (2) IMG_3291 (2) IMG_3294 (2) IMG_3295 (2) Visitors to the Sanctuary come for two

reasons:

Because they love snakes and want to have a wonderful experience meeting them and interacting with them.

or

Because they wish to overcome an unnecessary fear of snakes.

When people come to visit, education comes first and foremost, once the visitors know how the snake senses its world, what to expect from a snake and how to be with them, they get to meet the smallest of our snakes, Kenyan Sand Boas, the males are particularly small and cute and obviously cannot be a threat to the top predator (humans). Once visitors are comfortable with handling the Sand Boas, they can meet a Corn snake or two, very different as they are so much longer and it can best to wrap them across your shoulders unless they curl up in your hands and around your wrists, Corn snakes are actually often more difficult to hold than the next size snake that can be handled, Royal Pythons, as these snakes often don’t move as much and are quite happy to rest over the shoulders or be held like a baby in your arms but they are quite a bit larger in the body.

Rainbow Boas, large Boas and Pythons are the climax of the visit with lots of photo opportunities.

Visitors can stay two hours – our fee is £50

Wyanita and her cousin came to visit recently, her cousin was rather afraid to begin with but soon overcame her fear.

IMG_3299 (2)

Special Needs Holiday Club

Special Needs Holiday Club review:
The snakes entertained autistic children at their Holiday Club at the Norwwod Centre, Ilford, Essex for the half term in February, here is the review:

“Snakey Sue was fantastic! Very good and understanding with our kids. Some of them even conquered their fear of snakes which was amazing. And I think some of our staff are guilty of spending a bit too much time with the snakes themselves! It was a great workshop thank you very much!”

Clacton 5th Cubs and Scouts

Clacton 5th Cubs and Scouts enjoyed snake encounters on the 24th Feb 2016, my latest young helper Kimba  came along to assist with the snakes,She’s the first pic wearing her Snakey Sue’s Serpent Sanctuary polo shirt.

Richard Woodfield who booked for the event had this to say:

“Hi Sue, thank you and your assistant so much for bringing your snakes to our recent Cub & Scout meeting.

Your presentation and demonstrations were ‘spot on’ and we all found it very informative.

Everyone enjoyed being so close with the snakes and finding out so much about them.

I’m sure that they’ll remember our snake evening for a long time!

If it’s OK with you? …… I’ll be including a short report about our meeting in the next edition of our Scout District Newsletter in a couple of months’ time, with your contact details etc.. Please let me know that this will be OK”

Below are some photos of the event:

DSC_1204 (2) DSC_1205 (2) DSC_1206 (2) DSC_1207 (2) DSC_1208 (2) DSC_1209 (2) DSC_1210 (2) DSC_1211 (2) DSC_1212 (2) DSC_1213 (2) DSC_1214 (2) DSC_1215 (2)

Snake Encounters Essex and beyond

Snake Encounters Essex and beyond – there was a problem with the website for a while so there have been no new postings since July!!

We’re are here again with a lot of catching to do. We have been booked for lots more local work, such a pleasure not to have to drive too far.

Here’s a list of presentations that haven’t been posted:

  • The snakes met up with 1st Lawford Guides at The Venture Centre, Manningtree, Essex in June.
  • We did our regular yearly visits to All Saints Church, Inmans Row, Woodford Green Essex for the Holiday Club there and Poolside Manor Holiday Club at Finchley, London.
  • Myself and my volunteers had a great time at Chigwell Row Campsite – we take 20/30 snakes for these outside events so everyone gets a chance to handle a snake and get over their fear if they want to.
  • We attended Harwich Primary School for the second time – who had the benefit of our 2015 special price for local schools £1 per child (costs less than an ice-cream) and I had the benefit of just crossing the road to go there 😀
  • We took the snakes to a fear busting event at Christ church Primary school in Chelsea and met Hugo Taylor from “made in Chelsea” and “Celebrity get me out of here” who was speaking to the children about fear.
  • Goodmayes Primary School in Ilford called us for the 4th year running.
  • We attended St Joseph’s Primary School, Dovercourt once more for their 6oth celebrations.
  • The snakes were a big hit at Clacton Fun-Day and we were told they would love to have us back next year 🙂
  • We have run presentations at Colchester Natural History Museum once more on the 29th October, looks like this will be a regular gig from now on 🙂
  • Today the snakes and I attended Market School, Elmstead Market, Essex (another local)

The three albino pythons performed at the fierce festival in Birmingham it was by luck that none were in slough, the photo below shows them performing, just moving about and being themselves 😀

fierce

 

 

 

 

 

Music in the Park – Wanstead 2015

Music in the Park – Wanstead 2015

We have been attending this event for approx 7yrs, this year there was a strong police presence taking charge of the snakes  😀

Our latest fundraiser is selling shed snakeskins; we bag up and label the type of snake they’re from. Some of the larger skins are ironed out flat for hanging up on the wall.

The first photo is of my latest crew of volunteers holding Rosie and Bou.

DSC_1087DSC_1092DSC_1089 DSC_1088

 

Snake Encounters at Sandringham School

Snake Encounters at Sandringham School, St Albans

Students at Sandringham School in St Albans decided it would be fun to have lots of snakes from Snakey Sue’s Serpent Sanctuary come to visit on their Jungle day.

Here are some photos of this special occasion – everyone having lots of fun with some Science Education as a sideline.

 

 

 



Snake encounters uk

Snake encounters with Earls Colne Explorers, Essex- we were invited to edutain this group. It was fun meeting a group of teenager for a change from young children. I found it  amusing that young girls from 4ys upwards are all in there with the snakes nurturing them etc. and the boys of a similar age have no staying power and need  to run off and play football, or tussle with one another.  But when they grow older the boys seem to be more interested and suddenly the girls are scared. This is just  general not all are the same of course. Anyway we managed to get the girls over their fears and even if they didn’t hold the larger snakes they all held the cute, little Kenyan Sand Boas.

They met two Kenyan Sand Boas, Kevin and Georgie, three cornsnakes, Jan, Ziggy and Syrup, two Rainbow Boas, Jack and Jill, and Rosie the Albino Python

DSC_0898 DSC_0899 DSC_0900 DSC_0901 DSC_0902 DSC_0903 DSC_0904 DSC_0905 DSC_0906 DSC_0907 DSC_0908

Snake Massage Therapy

Snake Massage is therapy

When a snake wraps around you this is to hold on not to kill you, consider how you would hold on to something if you had no arms and hands and how insecure you may feel when that something begins to move and you feel you may fall, you would hold on tighter.

If we lie down and the snake feels safe he/she will glide around your body in a beautiful massage of snake hugs, the weight of the snake relieves tension and pressure in your body also this increases blood flow to the tense areas of your body.

If you allow yourself to surrender to these wonderful beings they will bring you a meditative relaxation that is unequaled and this experience releases endorphin’s and oxytocin “the feel good hormones” relieving stress, creating immeasurable pleasure and helping you stay calm to cope with your everyday stresses.

These massage sessions are only available in Israel, Russia, Phillipines and U.S  if myself and my snakes can find a willing masseur to help us with this project you will be able to experience this therapeutic massage in the UK.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1079623/Welcome-reptile-therapy–slithery-snake-massage-designed-help-relax.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtS6hXTSkkA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EchceNUaWNI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tw2OTbaMIxg

Snake Encounters at Harwich and Parkeston Football Club

Snake Encounters at Harwich and Parkeston Football Club: We ran this as a fundraiser, as the football  club were fundraising for Essex Air Ambulance. We do sometimes pop along to a local event if we are not booked for a fee paying booking. The  difficulty  being that we cannot promise to turn up in case a booking comes in.

As much as we would love to do everything for free the snakes cannot be cared for without  money, we ask for donations to handle the snakes so we made approx £40 for the afternoon.

Here are some photos of the afternoon.


Snake encounters in North Essex?

Snake encounters in North Essex??  Snake encounters in Waltham Forest where we were based before 2011 were paid for often, by the local authority events management. They acknowledged that we were a small “not for profit” charity that run live snake awareness and educational presentations which were enjoyed by all.

Since we moved to North Essex we are endowed with three separate councils, Harwich Town council, Tendring council and Essex County council, do we really need all these and what do they do for the residents, they certainly don’t arrange any entertainment, all entertainment here is arranged by Rotary clubs, charities etc.

All is forgiven Waltham Forest as the bookings we received helped to keep the sanctuary running, here in North Essex we feel that maybe we will have to give up, somehow rehome the snakes that can be rehomed and keep just the poor things that nobody will want, give up educating children (and adults) because all the charity run events here want everyone to donate to their charity and cannot see the why they should pay for another charity to give a service at their events, it’s understandable especially as in these backwoods so many people are frightened of snakes and they can’t understand why it would be interesting and confidence building to try to find out something about them, a very sad affair.