Interest in owning reptiles as pets has grown over the last thirty years.  As this interest has increased, so has the need to educate people on the specific husbandry needs of these animals in captivity.  The internet has played a large roll in getting a lot of that information out there, but sometimes people just like to hear it from someone esle's mouth.  In 2006, I myself was just twenty-three years old and becoming more and more interested in reptiles.  At the time, two clubs had just been disbanded, and it was difficult to network and find others to talk about reptiles with in person.  At that point I took it upon myself to start the paperwork for a new non-profit reptile club on Staten Island.  I found a few people who were really interested in getting involved, and MHS had it's first official meeting on January 16, 2006. 

We used that very first meeting to discuss the direction of the club.  I stressed the importance of having a family-type atmosphere at the meetings and club events.  I wanted to group to be something that people not only came to learn a little bit, but also came for the comradery.  So we advertised the club as a family-oriented group that was open to people with ALL experience levels.  We weren't just trying to attract biologists, breeders, etc.  We wanted anyone who had an affinity for reptiles to come down and share that with everyone.

We had our first public meeting in February of 2006.  The caretaker of Blue Heron Park at the time forgot that we had a meeting that night.  The building was locked and about thirty people stood out in the cold.  We took our meeting up to the Dunkin Donuts on Hugeonot Avenue.  The staff there was nice enough to let us in and hold our meeting there as long as we didn't take out any animals.  So we purchased about $40 worth of coffee and donuts.  Dr. Peter Astarbi gave a talk that night and we managed to get through the meeting with people enjoying themselves.

Some of the people at that meeting stayed on and are still a part of us today.  While they'll tell you that some of the faces have changed, the comradery between members hasn't.  One of the changes we went through and are consistenly building on is our mission to be involved in the community.  We are getting out there on the front lines and helping preserve the two dozen or so reptile and amphibian species found on Staten Island.  Each year we hold an annual educational expose for children in which they can have a hands on experience with reptiles found all over the world, and also learn about the species that share their own back yard.  We also get out into the field often and do surveys, to learn how certain species are doing in certain areas.  We continue to do this and exchange information with ecologists that keep reptile and amphibian data for the Staten Island Museum. 

As our family continues to grow, so do the goals that we set for the organization.  This year we have been invited to the Richmond County Fair to give presentations to the kids in attendance.  This is something we take great pride in because these children hold the fate of wild reptiles and amphibians in their hands.  So we make it our job to make sure they know how important they are to the world's ecosystems, and why they need to be preserved.

As the years go by, we continue to grow and we hope to continue educating the community one day at a time...


Harvey J. Bird Jr.
President - Metropolitan Herpetological Society