Keeping connections with her native country, our work-study student Laura Briseño traveled to México to participate in the First Mexican Snake Festival that was held July 15-17 in Pachuca, Hidalgo.
Laura is a biologist and environmental educator with over 25 years of experience designing and implementing interventions to promote knowledge and respect for snakes. A crucial part of her work is helping communities to find effective ways to mitigate human-snake conflict.
This time, she facilitated a working session with a group of educators and instructors from different states such as Sinaloa, Chiapas, Puebla, Veracruz, Estado de México, and Michoacán. The main objectives of this meeting were to identify barriers and challenges for snake professionals and to work together to find solutions. Laura created a roundtable working group that will meet regularly to share experiences and capacity building.
Her participation at the festival will enhance collaboration among educators, instructors, and facilitators involved in the mitigation of human-snake conflict.