Educational Outreach Mission:

Educational outreach is essential to equipping future generations with mindsets of conservation and animal appreciation. And of course we'll have some laughs along the way.

Where will we go?

We visit schools, churches, scouts, birthdays, libraries, community events, banquets,
or anywhere we can serve.

What's it like?

Our interactive shows are crawling with fun and laughter, presented by Forgotten Friend's founder, herpetologist, author, photographer, and certified class clown, Jesse Rothacker. We customize every show to fit each event, but our classic show includes a 30-45 minute presentation, with the rest of the hour for questions and closer reptile encounters. We bring learning to life with fifteen live snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocs. You'll meet reptiles from around the world, and a few from your own backyard!

Just click play to see our reptiles at one of the best community events of the year. It's WJTL's Kids Cookie Break Pool Party!

What ages do we recommend?

Our unique brand of animal edutainment is great for groups of all ages. We've done programs for preschools, retirement homes, and all ages in between, with carefully formulated silliness for each age level.

What reptiles do we bring?

Forgotten Friend is home to some fifty reptiles, and we bring fifteen to each program. No two programs are the same, but you can look for 15 of the following reptiles at your event: American Alligator, Corn Snake, Grey-Banded King Snake, California King Snake, Hognose Snake, Sinoloan Milk Snake, Pueblan Milk Snake, Ball Python, Albino Burmese Python, Red Tail Boa Constrictor, Leopard Geckos, Bearded Dragon, Savanna Monitor, Green Iguana, Mali Uromastyx, Sulcata Tortoise, Red Foot Tortoise, and more . . .

HANDS-ON Experience

Many of our reptiles are quite sociable, and our colorful Corn Snakes are especially amicable for supervised touching. We also bring reptile eggs, snake skins, and turtle shells to every show, and provide hand sanitizer to promote good clean fun.

Have you ever touched a snake before? A couple of our friendliest reptiles are perfect for first-timers!

Take Home A Picture of Your Reptile Encounter

Turn your first reptile encounter into a lasting memory by having your picture taken with one of our friendliest reptiles. There is no charge to take your own pictures, or we can bring our instant photo setup and create framed souvenir photos for you on the spot.

Rates and Scheduling

The proceeds from our outreach programs make our organization possible, and we offer affordable programming starting under $300. We offer standard one-hour rates or discounted rates for longer events. Local travel is free within a 10-mile radius, with mileage rates beyond 10 miles based on location. We recommend our show for audiences between 25 and 100 people, although group size is unlimited and we often visit much bigger or smaller groups. We provide our own professional sound equipment at every event, or we can plug into your sound system. To schedule an event, or for more information, please call us at (717)330-3015 or email info@forgottenfriend.org.

Jesse's Field Work in the Wild

When he's not teaching Herpetology, Jesse can usually be found with a snake hook in hand and a camera around his neck, scouring the earth for wild reptiles. In addition to leading outreach programs, Jesse's photos and articles have appeared in national publications like Reptiles Magazine as well as Forgotten Friend's local newspapers. Here is a recent video from Jesse's trip out West

Rave Reviews

Whether you like reptiles or not, you'll love our show. Filled with family fun and learning, there is something for everyone to enjoy. But you don't have to take our word for it --- you can read Rave Reviews from others who loved our shows.

-Jesse Rothacker, Forgotten Friend Founder

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