Exhibit aims at winning over rattled residents

Chicago Tribune

It may be a tough sell, but Rob Carmichael wants Lake county to embrace rattlesnakes.

Carmichael, curator of the Wildlife Discovery Center at Middlefork Savanna in Lake Forest, makes his case in "The Grass Is Rattling," billed as the nation’s largest exhibit of reptiles.

Curators collected their snakes from some novel sources. While some were bought from zoos, museums or private sellers, many came from agencies that confiscated them from poachers or even drug dealers, who sometimes stash narcotics in the snakes’ cages.

"Most people only see rattlesnakes as animals that kill people, even though very very few people actually die from the bite of a rattlesnake," Carmichael said. "In fact, rattlesnakes are timid creatures that would rather back away than fight."

The exhibit, which opened last month, will display about 30 of the center’s 100 vipers, including a sidewinder and rare snakes from Central and South America, plus the rare eastern massasauga, the only rattler native to the Chicago area.

Seen by many as fierce and deadly, rattlesnakes are misunderstood and actually are useful to the enviornment, Carmichael said.

"They are very important for rodent control," he explained. "Also, researchers are discovering very amazing medicinal properties of snake venom," including potential treaments for cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

Carmichael and his coleagues have bred the eastern massasauga in captivity, and he hopes to reintroduce them into the wild.

Naturally, he realizes releasing rattlesnakes may provoke hissy fits from his fellow Lake County residents, but he hopes his education program will allay fears and make it possible.

"These animals pose little to no threat to the public," he said. "There’re secretive, not aggressive. Most people will never ever see one anyway."

Staffers included Carmicael’s office while building the exhibit in their old administration quarters. "The snakes have taken over," he said, "but that’s how I wanted it."

M. Daniel Gibbard
Tribune photo by David Trotman-Wilkins
Photo caption reads "Rob Carmichael removes a timber rattlesnake from its cage at Wildlife Discovery Center".

Rattlesnake Exhibit Opens in Illinois

Reptile Magazine

The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm in Lake Forest, Illinios, offers a unique look at rattlesnakes. the exhibit, called "The Grass is Rattling," displays 25 species of rattlesnakes indigenous to North, Central and South America, and is one of the largest rattlesnake displays in the country.

Several endangered species are showcased, including timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) and the eastern massasauga (Sistrurus c. catenatus). Other nonvenomous snakes and birds are also displayed.

The exhibit features inveractive displays and educational material, with an emphasis on environmental conservation and the ecological importance of rattlesnakes. Students have the change to use high-tech gizmos, such as GPS locators and radiotelemtry equipment, to study the animals.

A grant from TAP Pharmaceutical made this exhibit possible. For more information, visit www.cityoflakeforest.com.

(City of Lake Forest press release, February 11, 2005)

ForeFronts-Rob Carmichael: A warm heart for cold-blooded animals

Lake County Journals

By DANIELLE SCHWEIGERT - dschweigert@nwnewsgroup.com

It is a typical Friday morning for Rob Carmichael: He sits behind a table, listening and debating with his staff during a weekly meeting.

While that might seem like a normal office situation, the nearby glass cages filled with a snapping turtle, a rhinoceros iguana and other reptiles give the impression that this is no ordinary business – it is the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest, founded by Carmichael.

When Mundelein resident Carmichael was 4 years old, he discovered he was allergic to his pet gerbil. His doctor told him to buy a reptile instead of a mammal, and Carmichael’s lifelong love of herpetology was born. Carmichael and his twin brother, Chris, quickly gathered a collection of reptiles.

And Carmichael recalled a lesson they learned as their collection increased.

"We discovered you can’t stack heavy aquariums on bookshelves," he said with a laugh. "We had the crash of all crashes one day."

But what started as a childhood hobby developed into a passion that Carmichael turned into a carrer. In 1996, he established the Wildlife Discovery Center, a facility he described as a zoo, nature center and museum wrapped into one. He is now curator of the facility.

Carmichael said it was while he attended College of Lake County that he realized he could pursue herpetology as a job. One of his professors, Dr. Michael Corn, inspired him by taking him into the field to look for reptiles. And now Carmichael is the one instilling a love of wildlife in children through programs at the Wildlife Discovery Center, which is part of the city of Lake Forest Parks & Recreation Department.

"I wanted to mentor young children and watch them develop and pursue careers in the field," he said. "The programs are providing another outlet to make kids feel that they’re a part of something special."

Carmichael said the facility offers conservation classes, preschool classes, after school programs, middle school classes and school field trips.

One program Carmichael is most proud of, however, is Reptile Rampage, an annual exhibition that teaches the public about reptiles. This year’s event takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 4 at the Lake Forest Recreation Center, 400 Hastings Road, in Lake Forest.

"I see how much we as a society have changed," he said. "People have gotten so far removed from nature, and I want to reconnect people and slow down the pace of life."

One way Carmichael reconnects children to the outdoors is by taking them to Beaver Island, Mich. That trip is the highlight of his year, he said.

"A whole new world opens up to them," he explained.

Although Carmichael loves to see people enthusiastic about reptiles, he is sensitive toward those who have a fear of those animals.

"I can understand where they’re coming from," he said. "It can be a little alarming when you see reptiles for the first time, but it’s through our programs that people slowly warm up to these cold-blooded animals."

Working with Rob to teach the public about reptiles is Lindy Van Vlissingen, naturalist and group coordinator for the Wildlife Discovery Center. Van Vlissingen became involved with the center about 10 years ago after her daughter went on the Beaver Island trip with Carmichael. She also served on the Lake Forest Recreation Board with him.

"His exuberance is infectious," Van Vlissingen said of Carmichael’s love for reptiles. "When he’s excited about something, everyone gets excited."

And the Wildlife Discovery Center, at Elawa Farm, 1401 Middlefork Drive, seems to be the perfect place for the public to share in Carmichael’s enthusiasm. Historic brick buildings dot the farm, providing a home for the facility’s many animals. The open Middlefork Savanna behind the center sets a pristine scene and provides a place to look for reptiles. And the gravel driveways that lead to the facility give it a clean, inviting look.

"We moved to Elawa Farm in 2003, and I couldn’t think of a better place to have a wildlife center," Carmichael said. "We are a place people can go to locally, and it’s free to the public. We like to roll out the red carpet for everyone who comes here."

Meet some of the animals

Puff Adder
Gaboon viper (This snake was found in a dumpster in Chicago.)
Jameson’s mamba (This snake’s previous owner attempted to defang it, and the Wildlife Discovery Center rehabilitated it. Carmichael said he is particularly attached to this snake because of the long hours he spent nursing it back to health.)
King cobra
Mussaranas
About 30 rattlesnakes (Carmichael said, to his knowledge, the Wildlife Discovery Center has the largest public display of rattlesnakes in the U.S.)
Blanding’s turtle
Harris’ hawk and red-tailed hawk
Great Horned owl and a screech owl
Black-throated monitor
The area of the Wildlife Discovery Center where the animals are housed is about 3,500 square feet. The hawks and the great horned owl live in 22-foot-high, outdoor cages that have heated perch boxes.

For more information about the Wildlife Discovery Center: Visit www.thegrassisrattling.com, www.cityoflakeforest.com/cs/rec/cs_rec2d2.htm, or call (847) 615-4388. The Wildlife Discovery Center is at 1401 Middlefork Drive, in Lake Forest.

Getting to know Rob Carmichael

Age: 43
Profession: Curator, Wildlife Discovery Center; part-time teacher of wildlife ecology/biology at Trinity University, Deerfield
Hometown: Mundelein
Birthplace: Evanston, Ill.
Education: Working on a Ph.D. in herpetology (focusing on behavioral patterns of the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnake); M.S. degree in environmental education/biology from George Williams College in Aurora; B.S. degree in biology from Elmhurst College; A.S. degree in biology from College of Lake County
Family: Wife, Toni; daughters Ofelia, 13, and Carolina, 12; rottweilers, Boris, 2, and Sadie, 7, along with many reptiles
Hobbies: Hobbies: Herping (looking for and photographing reptiles and amphibians in the wild); falconry; camping and hiking; playing squash and raquetball competitively; played baseball professionally for an unaffiliated minor league team in Windsor, Ontario.

[View Source]