Matt Ellerbeck (aka Snake Man) is a well-known animal rights activist and conservationist who focuses his advocacy on snakes. Matt's mission is to help contribute to the recovery of imperiled snake populations by providing educational presentations, raising awareness of the issues snakes face, standing up for their rights, running conservation projects, and promoting snake advocacy, preservation, and stewardship. It is Matt's hope that his work will help alleviate people's fears and hatred of snakes, and that this in turn, will help decrease the number of snakes directly persecuted by people. Due to his growing concern over the declining snake population, Matt decided to start a snake conservation project in late 2004. He has since given numerous presentations on snakes in and around the Kingston area to help educate people about these reptiles and the need for their conservation. Highlights include presentations for the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority, St. Lawrence Islands National Park, The GreenUP Environmental Festivals, King's Town Private School and Queen's University for Environmental Education students. Matt has also often appeared in the media across Ontario to help get his message about the importance of snake conservation out to the public. He has been featured on local TV, radio, and in several newspapers and magazines. Appearances and spots that Matt's work has been featured in include the television program The Lounge, CKWS Newswatch, CFRC Radio, Fly FM Radio, Lite 104.3 FM Radio, My Fm Radio, FM 96 Radio, the Kingston This Week newspaper, the Kingston Whig-Standard newspaper, Frontenac This Week newspaper, The Napanee Guide newspaper, the Frontenac News newspaper and many more. Matt has also been featured in American media, appearing on radio or in newspapers in Florida, Arizona, Minnesota, Texas, Georgia, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky and California. He was also a guest on the radio program 'Talking Animals,' which airs in Tampa, Florida. The guests featured on the show tend to be prominent figures in the animal world, or notable folks in other fields who have ties to animal welfare. Past guests have included Jane Goodall, Chrissie Hynde, Paul Watson, Janeane Garofalo, Moby, Margaret Cho and many others. Matt made his European media debut in the summer 2010 when he appeared on Wild Time Radio, which is an animal rights/world conservation magazine show which airs across Dublin City. Matt has also written several articles on snakes. His articles have appeared in conservation publications, newspapers, and various other mediums. This includes articles for the Amphibian Voice (the official newsletter of the Adopt-A-Pond program of the Toronto Zoo), the official publication of the Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority, Responsible Exotic Animal Ownership (REXANO), The Kingston Field Naturalist's Blue Bill publication, Voices For Animals Humane Society and more. In 2010 Matt was nominated for a Green Globe Award in recognition of his efforts to protect and conserve snakes. The Commerce and Engineering Environmental Conference presents two Green Globe Awards to a nominated individual or group that has had a significant positive impact in the Queen's University and Kingston community, respectively. The same year he was named a visionary by Within Kingston Magazine. As part of the designation, the magazine's May 2010 issue featured a write up on Matt's work as a snake advocate.