Frog Day
Kissing a frog won’t turn it into a prince but that’s no reason not to show amphibians a little love.
This coming Saturday, April 28, 2012, will be the fourth annual Save the Frogs Day, as declared by environmentalists and nature lovers. And while it may not be as widely observed as, say, Earth Day, Groundhog Day, or Administrative Assistant’s Day, organizers confirm it’s gaining traction. More than 150 Save the Frog Day events are planned in 25 countries. Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson is among the leaders who have officially recognized the cause, having signed a proclamation in 2009.
According to Save the Frogs!, the California-based non-profit coordinating events, nearly one third of the world’s amphibians are threatened with extinction, due to such challenges as climate change, pollution, disease, habitat loss, invasive species, and overharvesting. “Frogs eat mosquitoes, provide us with medical advances, serve as food for birds, fish and monkeys, and their tadpoles filter our drinking water. There are lots of reasons to save them,” says founder Kerry Kriger in a release.
B.C. is home to eleven species of frogs. The Rocky Mountain tailed, northern leopard, and Oregon spotted frogs are classed as endangered; two others (Pacific tailed and northern red-legged) are of special concern.
What can you do to show Kermit you care? Aside from reducing your own environmental impact and supporting programs and organizations in place for protecting ecosystems, learn how to identify B.C.’s amphibians and report sightings to the B.C. Frogwatch Program. (While you’re at it, why not learn their language? Click here for recorded B.C. frog calls.)
And for more on the state of B.C.’s frogs, see “It’s not easy being green” in the Spring 2010 issue of British Columbia Magazine.