Sidewinder Added to School Menagerie by Science Club

 
Santa Paula Daily Chronicle
Wednesday, May 23, 1956

Seems that safety regulations were a bit more lax in the 1950s!  The following story details the SPHS Science club's annual weekend field trip.  One of the activities appears to be gathering up samples of the local wildlife, including squirrels, lizards, a toad and even a sidewinder!  These critters were added to the school's collection of live animals, presumably in the Science classes.

Members of the Science Club of Santa Paula High School went on their annual nature study outing last weekend. They spent Friday night at Blue Point, 10 miles north of Santa Felicia dam. Saturday they went on to Big Pines and Red Rock Canyon. They made camp in this area Saturday night. They were back in Santa Paula by noon Sunday.

The purpose of the annual trek is to study as much of plant and animal life in its natural habitat as possible and to gather specimens of wild life typical of the area. Among those captured were a sidewinder rattlesnake (the first seen on the desert since 1949), a Southwest toad, antelope ground squirrel, gridiron tailed lizard and several other types of lizards. All of these specimens will become inmates of their live exhibits.

There is increasing difficulty in finding a wilderness unaffected by the large numbers of people from the metropolitan area. Students who participated were David Barthuli, Byron Edde, Lou Grivetti, Robert Uffen, Kurt Melssner, Gilbert Rodrlquez, Lauretta Massey, Mary Mayes, Charla Leavens, Joyce Crawford and Betty Riley. Sponsors of the club, Joe Ricards and Neal Currier, made the trip more profitable by acting as .supervisors. Douglas Lazenby also accompanied the club members.