Source: Sierra Vista Herald
For the next couple of months, naturalist Sandy Anderson will be immersed in the heart of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest.She will be volunteering her services as a naturalist, educator and guide at Cristalino Jungle Lodge, leading English-speaking tours through the rainforest and down the Cristalino River.
“I’m so excited that I was selected for this,” said Anderson, who is an avid wildlife advocate, environmental educator and the director of Gray Hawk Nature Center. “This is a wonderful opportunity for me.”
Gray Hawk Nature Center, a nonprofit environmental education facility located on the San Pedro River, is visited by private groups, researchers and students from kindergarten through college. Along with serving as the center’s educator, Anderson is curator of a wide array of live reptile and invertebrate exhibits. Known as the “snake lady” to schoolchildren, her “in-your-face,” high-energy teaching style and humorous interactions with children are established Anderson trademarks.
On July 24, she handed the nature center over to caretaker Randy Totty and headed for the state of Mato Grosso in Brazil. She’ll return in September.