Year of the Frog
Lemur Leaf Frog, Hylomantis lemur by Ron Holt
In 2005, an Amphibian Conservation Summit was convened by the IUCN and Conservation International, and from this the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan (ACAP)was developed.
In 2006, the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group, Amphibian Specialist Group and World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) set up Amphibian Ark to develop, promote and guide short-term ex situ management where adequate protection in the wild is not possible. To aid the work being conducted and create a cash fund for this conservation work, 2008 has been designated as the Year of the Frog.
In 2008, zoos, universities, museums and conservation organisations from around the world are leading a globally coordinated public awareness campaign “The Year of the Frog”, which aims to generate public awareness and understanding of the amphibian extinction crisis.
Amphibian Ark brochure.pdf
Frog Atlas
Frog Atlas is a web based tool that allows you to learn about some of Australia’s frogs, while helping to build an interactive map of frog distributions. The Frog Atlas is the next stage of two long-term Frog Census programs that have been running in South Australia and Melbourne.
Frog calls vary between species and provide a simple means for gaining information about where frogs are found. By learning to identify frog calls and contributing them to a central, mappable site, together we can build up a picture of what is happening to our neighbours, the frogs.
Activities
People around the world have been getting involved in raising money and awareness for frogs around the world in a variety of ways.
For example: A sixth grade class made ceramic frogs as a class assignment, making an extra one to sell at a fundraiser for Amphibian Ark.
A 9 year old boy, Joseph, asked his friends to make a donation to frogs instead of giving him presents and raised more than $350 for amphibian ark.
A worker from Edinburgh Zoo dressed as a frog and abseiled off the Forth Bridge in Scotland to raise ~$1200 for Amphibian Ark.
Sue and Nick were married on Friday 29th February, Leap Day, and requested donations to Amphibian Ark in lieu of presents, raising ~$1000.
Samara, a 12 year old girl from Queensland, has started a newsletter called Frog News that is being sent to local schools, frog groups, government, conservation groups, media, etc.
How can you get involved? Click here to have a look at the monthly reports and get more ideas.
Sign the Amphibian Ark petition to urge leaders to commit resources for global amphibian conservation.
