The first full weekend of every month, the Nature Museum becomes a herpetologist haven! That's when the Chicago Herpetological Society sets up tables in the Nature Walk for some reptile fun with the public and the Junior Herp Society holds their monthly meetings! Come and join us as we share our passion for these wonderful animals.

Join us for some fun with our reptile and amphibian friends!

The Chicago Junior Herpetological Society is about sharing the love of amphibians and reptiles with the younger generation, and fostering an appreciation of wildlife and nature through educational speakers and hands-on interaction.

The regular monthly meetings of the Chicago Junior Herpetological Society take place at The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, on the Sunday of the first full weekend every month, from noon till about 1:30. Meetings are free to visitors to the museum. The next meeting will be on Sunday, May 3rd. Our scheduled topic is "Herping Responsibly" which is the observation of these animals in their natural habitat and respect for nature and the animals while we do that. We are looking forward to this and we are also planning a trip out to Channahon, IL to do some actual field herping with our March speaker, Ranger Kevin Luby from the Willowbrook Wildlife Center on May 30th. We are developing plans to start utilizing the skills and knowledge of some of our teenage members as leader mentors which has been a goal of ours since the beginning. We had alot of fun at our trip to Brookfield Zoo on April 4th and we are very grateful to our friends at the zoo for helping to make that a wonderful day.

You can learn more about the CJHS here.

The Chicago Herpetological Society is a non-profit all volunteer organization dedicated to the conservation of all wildlife, especially reptiles and amphibians, the cooperation of amateur and professional herpetologists toward a more complete understanding of herpetofauna, and the education of the general public about these often misunderstood but fascinating animals.​

When considering getting a new pet for the family, a great option to consider is adoption. There are many awesome animals out there in need of a loving home. The CHS has an adoption program available to members. There are currently some awesome animals being fostered and ready for a new forever home. Contact Colleen Schwarz or Linda Malawy of the CHS adoption program.

You can learn more about CHS adoptions here.

The Junior Herp Society was founded by members of the Chicago Herpetological Society and we encourage our members to become members of the CHS as well. General meetings of the Chicago Herpetological Society are held on the last Wednesday every month at 7:30pm at the Notebaert. Meetings are free to attend. The April 29th meeting of the Chicago Herpetological Society will feature Scott Ballard of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Mr. Ballard is the author of the Illinois Herptiles-Herps Act that went into effect the beginning of this year. Everyone in Illinois who owns a reptile or amphibian or enjoys field herping needs to review this new law, but it’s particularly important for breeders, native animal keepers, and keepers of large or venomous animals. Talk with the man who wrote the law. 

You can learn more about the Chicago Herpetological Society here.

Thanks and hope to see you there!

Rich Lamszus
Chicago Junior Herp Society
Chicago Herpetological Society

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