Step inside Save the Snakes in Rancho Cordova, California, for a rare, unfiltered behind-the-scenes tour at Save the Snakes with host Kellie Raines and venomous snake coordinator and expert Amy Brumbaugh. This Gatherlings bonus episode — your companion to A Rhumba of Rattlesnakes — goes beyond rattlesnakes to explore pythons, kingsnakes, gopher snakes, and the stunning “green unicorn” rhino rat snake at Save the Snakes.

You’ll even hear the moment Kellie touches a snake for the first time (spoiler: not slimy!) and the sound of a real rattlesnake in person! Packed with engaging audio and snake characters worth taking the time to get to know, this episode is perfect for wildlife lovers and the snake-curious alike.

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What do you call a group of rattlesnakes? A rhumba.
And what do you call a podcast episode that blends snake encounters, medieval language, legendary women, and the soulful beat of an Afro-Cuban dance? This one.

In this immersive episode of A Gather of Gatherings, host Kellie Raines waltzes past fear (and a few fangs) with expert Amy Brumbaugh from Save the Snakes, who introduces her to her very first live rattlesnake. Along the way, you’ll learn how to safely coexist with these often-misunderstood creatures — and why they’re more percussionist than predator.

But this isn’t just about wildlife conservation. It’s about language, legend, and transformation. Discover the bizarre and brilliant history of collective nouns, hear from the legendary Dame Juliana Berners (kinda) in a time-traveling, totally fictional interview, and more.

Woven throughout: poetic reflections on what it means to shed your skin — literally, metaphorically, and maybe even musically.

Rattlesnakes. Resistance. Renaissance. Ready to dance?

💬 What’s your favorite collective noun?
Tag us or message @gatherofgatherings on Instagram and TikTok and use the hashtag #AGatherOfGatherings — we want to hear your favorites!

🎶 Music, sound design, and full credits in the show notes.
🎙️ To learn more, visit gatherofgatherings.com

⭐ If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review it — help us dance more!

Show Notes

Host, Producer, Writer: Kellie Raines

Interviewees

• Amy Brumbaugh, Venomous Snake Coordinator of Save the Snakes
• Dame Juliana Berners, portrayed by Kelley Ogden (fictional interview)
• Shawn B O'Neal

When I Shed My Skin… (in order of appearance)

• Margaret Morneau
• Elaine Brooks
• Tory Scroggins
• Andrew Fowler*
• Gay Cooper
• Johnathan Sexton
• Damon Alums
• Marilyn Raines
• Kellie Raines
• Rose Froling

*Wrote their own “When I Shed My Skin…” vignette

Special Thanks

Amy Brumbaugh, Save the Snakes, Shawn O’Neal, Margaret Morneau

Music

Music courtesy of Melodie Music.

Melodie Music Subscription: Pro Plan, Lifetime

Title: Acoustic Minor Swing Artist — Bill Palmer; Composer: Palmer William John
https://melod.ie/track-details/1647-acoustic-minor-swing

Title: Of Lads and Lasses — Alex Cap; Composer: Cap Alexander Stephen
https://melod.ie/track-details/450-of-lads-and-lasses

Title: Who Will Pay the Piper — Vincent Russo; Composer: Russo John
https://melod.ie/track-details/2297-who-will-pay-the-piper

Title: Especial — Jared Chance Taylor; Composer: Taylor Jared Chance
https://melod.ie/track-details/3507-especial

Title: Dead Broke — Chris Raggatt; Composer: Raggatt Chris
https://melod.ie/track-details/2423-dead-broke

Sound Effects
SoundSnap (pro subscription)

Referenced Resources or Links

Save the Snakes

https://savethesnakes.org/

The Rattlesnake Conservancy
https://www.savethebuzztails.org/

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What do hawks have to do with language, myth, and medieval manuscripts?

In this debut episode of A Gather of Gatherings, we take flight with a fun collective noun—a kettle of hawks—and explore the stories it stirs up.

Join host Kellie Raines as she metaphorically skydives into the world of hawks (and the archives), blending rich storytelling, language, history, and real-life falconry with imagination and curiosity.

🦅 You’ll hear from Kate Marden, master falconer and founder of West Coast Falconry, who shares her journey from childhood wonder to working with real-life raptors.

📖 You'll also meet Dame Juliana Berners (sort of…), a 15th-century nun, in a fictional time-traveling interview about birds, books, and who gets to write history.

🎧 And yes—there will be soundscapes, bird trivia, falconry terms, and one or two winged metaphors that might surprise you.

This isn’t just a podcast about grammar—it’s a journey through language, nature, culture, and imagination, all launched from the odd and wondrous world of collective nouns.

Show Notes
Host, Producer, Editor, Writer: Kellie Raines

Interviewees
Kate Marden, Founder and Owner of West Coast Falconry
Dame Julianna Berners, portrayed by Kelley Ogden (fictional interview)
Shawn B O'Neal

If I Were a Hawk Writers/Voices (in order of appearance)
Each person below wrote and voiced their own “If I Were a Hawk…” content
Jessica Laskey, Leah Daugherty, Filipe da Cruz (French), Elizabeth Sosner, Emma Young da Cruz (German), Olivia Raines, Shawn B O'Neal, Ruby Sketchley

Special Thanks
David, Shawn, Colleen, Rose, Agnes, Olivia, Alice, Shannon, and the Witches

Music
Music courtesy of Melodie Music.
Melodie Music Subscription: Pro Plan, Lifetime

Title: Acoustic Minor Swing Artist: Bill Palmer; Composers: Palmer William John
https://melod.ie/track-details/1647-acoustic-minor-swing

Title: Of Lads and Lasses Artist: Alex Cap; Composers: Cap Alexander Stephen
https://melod.ie/track-details/450-of-lads-and-lasses

Title: The Battle Of The Boyne Artist: Vincent Russo Composers: Russo John
https://melod.ie/track-details/2296-the-battle-of-the-boyne

Title: Dappled Light Artist: Karl Steven Composers: Steven Karl Solve https://melod.ie/track-details/1588-dappled-light

Title: Distant Galaxies Artist: Patrick Rydman Composers: Rydman Patrick Finn
https://melod.ie/track-details/4817-distant-galaxies

Title: Trials And Tribulations Artist: Sam Lipman Composers: Lipman Samuel Mark
https://melod.ie/track-details/903-trials-and-tribulations

Sound Effects
LibriVox (free public domain audiobooks)
SoundSnap (pro subscription)

Excerpt from Il pleure dans mon cœur by Paul Verlaine (1874)
From Romances sans paroles (1874)
Public domain. Courtesy of LibraVox performed by Alexandre Ivan Kard

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