ODWC Photo by Wes Edens
“We just naturally fear what we understand least.”
For Cheyenne Gonzales, a biologist with the Wildlife Department, Merlin Tuttle’s quote about fearing what we don’t understand rings true at a personal level and has shaped how she approaches conversations about poorly understood species like bats, snakes, and even spiders.
“I was terrified of spiders growing up,” Gonzales said. “And I had a negative view up until college. Thankfully, an assistant for one of my wildlife classes was really into spiders and helped me understand that spiders aren’t terrifying. They’re trying to survive, just like we are.”
Gonzales knows feelings about spiders can be as sticky as the silk the eight-legged creatures produce. To help people overcome their discomfort or begin to address their fear of spiders, she often leans on facts and identification tips.
Gonzales is spinning good spider vibes with facts and identification tips to help people take spider encounters in stride.
Read MORE HERE.
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