What makes a young explorer develop a passion for science? How do childhood experiences create a spark of wonder and curiosity that propel people to pursue a lifetime of study? How have scientists used this spark to help grow our knowledge of and affinity for the natural world and drive conservation? Conservation Matters is a recurring theme where we meet scientists, engineers, foresters, educators, science communicators, filmmakers, and all sorts of folks in the Village to find out just how our youth evolve into conservation-focused professionals. We'll learn about their research, their youthful spark, and how these translate into conservation. In this episode, we'll meet with Dr. Charles "Chuck" Smith of Wofford College and the Copperhead Institute. Dr. Smith is an expert in many areas but in this episode, we'll learn a bit about his research into Agkistrodon contortrix, the copperhead snake and what that revealed about climate and drought.