LEWS researcher Kristin Stanford talks with Dirty Jobs star Mike Rowe in the laboratory. - FWS photo

LEWS researcher Kristin Stanford talks with "Dirty Jobs" host Mike Rowe along the shore of Lake Erie. - FWS photo

The Federally threatened Lake Erie Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon insularum, LEWS), LEWS researcher Kristin Stanford (also known as "The Island Snake Lady"), and Northern Illinois University, will be featured on the Discovery Channel’s hit program, “Dirty Jobs” on Tuesday November 28, 2006, at 9pm. 

After watching the show regularly, Stanford contacted the show’s producers to see if they were interested in her story.  If you have never seen the show, the concept is simple. The host, Mike Rowe, showcases three different jobs by assuming the duties that the “experts” give him. As the title of the show describes, the jobs Mike performs usually have a dirty aspect to them. And more often than not “dirty” is a bit of an understatement.

After months of e-mailing, logistical planning and working around Mike’s busy film schedule, a film date of August 10^th was selected.  Beginning at 10:00am, the crew filmed Mike conducting several aspects of the LEWS research that Kristin does including, snake catching, measuring, weighing, sexing and even diet analysis, better known as puking!

Did they get good footage? Did they manage to catch a snake?  Well, you’ll just have to watch and see. The segment will air Tuesday, November 28th at 9pm ET/PT.  Check your local listings or the Dirty Jobs website for additional information.