Get Hopping to Save the Frogs

There's a great little pond a few hundred yards from my house. Oh, sure, it's not much to look at, but I still try to walk by it every evening this time of year. That's because this tiny, hidden, suburban pond is home to hundreds of frogs, and every night their croaks and creaks and chirps fill the night air like a chorus.

It's one of the most beautiful sounds I have ever heard.

Unfortunately, if we're not careful, it's a sound we won't be hearing much of in the near future.

Dr. Kerry Kriger, founder of the Save the Frogs Foundation, wants to make sure that doesn't happen.

THE CRISIS

Around the world, frogs and amphibians are dying at an unbelievable rate, the victims of habitat loss, pollution and the deadly chytrid fungus, which has spread to almost every corner of the globe over the past ten years. Dozens of species have already gone extinct and we could lose hundreds more in the next ten years.

Kriger founded the Save the Frogs Foundation to help combat frog extinctions and today, thousands of people and dozens of organizations will help celebrate the second annual Save the Frogs Day. "It's a great opportunity to spread the word about the threats frogs face, and what they can do to help," says Kriger.

THE MISSION

Kriger started the foundation just under two years ago, in May of 2008, after spending four years in Australia studying the chytrid fungus for his Ph.D.

"During that time," says Kriger, "I realized that frogs in general had a lot of problems that really weren't being taken care of. That's what got me to start Save the Frogs."

Kriger says there was plenty of scientific research going on about frogs, "but not a lot of implementation of the recommendations made by scientists. No one was translating the science into action. Some of the large nonprofits have amphibian programs, but there was no nonprofit dedicated exclusively to amphibian conservation."

Coming from a scientific background helps Kriger make Save the Frogs stand out. "My scientific knowledge is of extreme importance," he says, "especially with getting science information on the web and creating educational materials."

Over the last two years, Kriger has traveled around the world teaching scientists how to detect the chytrid fungus and giving presentations to schools about the threats faced by frogs. The Save the Frogs website is full of information that can be used by students, teachers and scientists, and it's available in multiple languages. Along the way, he encourages others to speak out and take action to help frogs.

"I try to get scientists to be a bit more publicly active, or to be activists," he says. "The scientific culture is not one of activism. It's about research and publication. I help get scientists to give talks on Save the Frogs Day, or speak to student volunteers on their campuses and universities, or give talks at conventions and conferences. We're spreading the word to get other scientists involved."

WHAT YOU CAN DO

There are actually quite a few things the average citizen can do to help frogs, says Kriger. "Don't ever purchase wild-caught amphibians as pets, or eat frog legs," he says. "The frog trade is no doubt responsible for shipping the chytrid fungus around the world." Save the Frogs volunteers have recently protested the Uncle Julio's Tex-Mex chain because they sell so many frog's legs, which are imported from China. "Tens of millions of amphibians are shipped around the world ever year. There's no way to test them all for disease. Even if you do test, something will slip through."

Another problem is our lawns and gardens. "Don't use pesticides," Kriger continues. "One of our campaigns is try to try to get the herbicide Atrazine banned from production." The herbicide has been linked to terrible birth defects in frogs.

Finally, "tell people," says Kriger. "We have lots of activities for students and teachers, including presentations that they can download. Our goal is to make things easy for teachers, most of whom have no prior amphibian knowledge."

SAVE THE FROGS DAY (AND MORE)

This year, for the second annual Save the Frogs Day, dozens of events will be taking place in classrooms and communities around the globe. Teachers will be giving lectures on frogs and their benefit to the environment (including their role in a healthy ecosystem). Activists will be speaking out against the frog-leg trade. Batrachologists (scientists who study amphibians) will give live presentations on frogs and frog extinctions at local schools, museums, zoos and community groups.

Going beyond the actual day, Save the Frogs is holding art, poetry and essay contests about frogs, and continuing to attract volunteers for future events.

HOPPING FORWARD

Kriger cannot emphasize enough how much amphibians need our support. "There are only about 2,000 people in the world working full-time on amphibians, many of whom are not working on conservation issues." Meanwhile, there are already 2,000 endangered amphibian species. "That's one species per scientist," says Kriger. "That's why it's important to take action in your own community."

Photos courtesy of Kerry Kriger/The Save the Frogs Foundation.