Nature presentations explore beyond books

In the fall of 2010 naturalist Greg Greer launched “Mr. Greg’s Reptile Roadshow,” a one-of-a kind mobile habitat for that he uses to travel and teach children about reptiles.

Greer’s roadshow gives youngsters hands-on, up-close and personal experiences with non-venomous lizards, snakes, alligators, turtles and tortoises. The experience for children is much more than what Greer calls a circus act.

Greer doesn’t simply walk around a room with animals for ooh’s and aahh’s. He said he is passionate about educating children on reptiles.

Greer conducts presentations for schools, scouting groups, home schools, special events and birthday parties. His recent show at Dunwoody’s Butterfly Festival attracted thousands of attendees with presentations on a blue tongued skink, a milk snake, a monitor lizard and more.

“There’s so much mystery around reptiles. They’re so misunderstood. Almost every adult fears them and so education is so important for the kids,” Greer said.

Greer works with students as young as 3. He said each of his programs is designed to be different depending on the grade level.

“Frequently I’ll talk about patterns as a means of introducing young kids to live reptiles. They get these great big grins on their faces when I ask for instance, what the pattern of Indian star tortoise is? Some youngster puts his hand up and says it’s an AB pattern. They get so excited about it. When that happens, you’ve got them,” he said.

He added, “It’s almost like every other year is where there are major changes in the comprehension levels of a student. I
really have to be very cognizant and ask a few questions when I first go into a school to know exactly what level the students are.”

Greer has worked with reptiles for more than 40 years; as an executive director of the Chattahoochee Nature Center, in the herpetology department at Zoo Atlanta and for 13 years as a naturalist in ecotourism traveling the world as an expedition leader to wildlife regions such as Africa, Australia, South America, Antarctica and Asia.

Greer said, “because of my years with the Chattahoochee Nature Center where we worked with a lot of schools and obviously environmental education was the mission of the nature center, as it is with Dunwoody Nature Center… I have just carried on that same mission with what I do and a lot of people have learned of my business.”

Greer said his business has sustained through repeat clients at schools and scouting organizations.

He said, “Once I get into the school or into the scouting organization they typically call me numerous time through the year and have me do programs.”

From the age of four Greer said he “never wanted anything other than to learn and be involved with wildlife and reptiles were a big part of that.”

Greer’s father was in the navy and as a result they traveled a lot.

He said one of his fondest memories is catching a snake for the first time, a California king snake in San Diego, Calif.
Greer has now collected approximately 100 animals for his business. He said he has enough of each animal to only work an animal once a week.

“With maintaining a collection of any type animal it’s really important to make sure that whatever you’re doing is not stressing them out,” he said.

For additional information about Mr. Greg’s Roadshow visit birthdaypartyatlanta.net.