COSAM News Articles 2017 January David Steen receives Mindlin Science Communication Prize

David Steen receives Mindlin Science Communication Prize

Published: 01/30/2017

David Steen holding a Eastern Indigo Snake in the Conecuh National Forest David Steen, assistant research professor at the Auburn University Museum of Natural History, received the Mindlin Science Communication Prize for his efforts to communicate with the lay public via the internet. Steen maintains a strong online connection with the public through his wildly popular blog, www.livingalongsidewildlife.com, as well as his Twitter account, @Alongsidewild.

Steen is a herpetologist whose research has taken him to the Florida Everglades to hunt pythons, snorkeling through streams in southern Georgia looking for Alligator Snapping Turtles, hiking through Conecuh National Forest in south Alabama to release Eastern Indigo Snakes into the wild, and exploring natural habitats throughout the east coast of the U.S., including Puerto Rico. He has also worked in Azerbaijan, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Brazil. Throughout each effort, Steen uses the internet as a means of communicating with the public the importance of respecting and appreciating the wildlife around us.

Steen also encourages active participation from the public. He has established himself as the go-to online snake identification expert, receiving countless snake photos and identification requests each day from people all over the U.S. and world. For more information on David Steen, visit his website.