Saturday: Women in Herps with Tracy Barker and Cindy Steinle
Tracy Barker and her husband Dave have run Vida Preciosa International out of Texas for longer than Tracy would like to admit. Her first snake was a reticulated python at the age of 15, from Trooper Walsh. She never turned back. Tracy has been a breeder, zookeeper, field biologist, researcher, and graduate student, along with Dave. Together the Barkers have been the leaders in the python industry, doing more first-time species captive breedings than anyone else in the country.
Tracy says that the reptile industry gave her the freedom to raise her family, and later helped her with her breast cancer journey. She remembers the days when she would be at a reptile event and she was the only woman, and today is thrilled to see so many other women making strides in an what is thought to be a man’s world.
Tracy was a pioneer for many people in this hobby, including Cindy Steinle, who is today site coordinator of kingsnake.com, the oldest and largest reptile and amphibian website in the world. Tracy and Cindy will discuss the evolution of women in the reptile community and what women herpers can do to impact possible impending legislation.
Tracy and Cindy will be talking via streaming audio, and you’ll be able to chat, comment and ask questions in our text-based chat room. The chat will be held on Saturday, Feb. 20, at 9 PM Eastern Time in the kingsnake.com chat room.
