Tommy McFarland has come to think of the northern pine snake as an emblem of rural north Georgia; a species associated with dirt roads, working forests, and small farms. They are a Good Old Days kind of animal, along with other species, such as bobwhite quail and fox squirrels. Are pine snakes part of a vanishing community of days gone past, or can we preserve this important species? How common is the species in our region? What kinds of habitats do they use?

As part of his research at Reinhardt University, McFarland is looking for answers to these questions, and he is seeking the communitys help. You can help him by sharing what you know about pine, or bull snakes. Have you ever seen one? If you have old photos hed love to see them. If you see a pine snake, even one run over by a car, please take a picture of it and share it with him. These pictures are valuable because they serve as a permanent record of the snakes presence at a time and place.