02/27/15

Chytrid Fungus is Found in Madagascar

The entire amphibian class is currently afflicted by a global pandemic that is accelerating extinction at an alarming rate. Until now, a few islands like Madagascar were thought not to have been affected. However, an analysis of the latest series of tests shows that the chytrid fungus also poses a threat to amphibians in Madagascar. “This is sad news for herpetologists around the world,” says Dr. Dirk Schmeller of the UFZ, who was involved in analyzing the samples and has, together with Elodie Courtois, detected Bd in samples from Madagascar collected in 2010. “Firstly, it means that an island that is home to a particularly high number of amphibian species is now at risk. Several hundred species live only on this island. And, secondly, if the pathogen has managed to reach such a secluded island, it can and will occur everywhere.”

IMAGE: Chytrid fungus was proved on Platypelis pollicaris from Ranomafana. view more
Credit: Miguel Vences / TU Braunschweig

Prof. Miguel Vences from TU Braunschweig adds, “The chytrid fungus was found in all four families of the indigenous Madagascan frogs, which means it has the potential to infect diverse species. This is a shock!” The study also shows that the disease affects amphibians at medium to high altitudes, which ties in with observations from other parts of the world, where the effects of the amphibian epidemic have been felt primarily in the mountains.

“Luckily, there have not yet been any dramatic declines in amphibian populations in Madagascar,” Dirk Schmeller reports. “However, the pathogen appears to be more widespread in some places than others. Madagascar may have several strains of the pathogen, maybe even the global, hypervirulent strain. This shows how important it is to be able to isolate the pathogen and analyze it genetically, which is something we haven’t yet succeeded in doing.” At the same time, the researchers recommend continuing with the monitoring program across the entire country to observe the spread of the disease. The scientists also suggest setting up extra breeding stations for key species, in addition to the two centers already being built, to act as arks, so that enough amphibians could be bred to recolonize the habitats in a crisis. “We are also hopeful that we may be able to suppress the growth of the Bd pathogen with the help of skin bacteria,” says Miguel Vences. “It might then be possible to use these bacteria as a kind of probiotic skin ointment in the future.” A high diversity of microbial communities in the water could also reduce the potential for infection, according to earlier investigations conducted by Dirk S. Schmeller, Frank Pasmans, and their teams (published in Current Biology).

The outbreak of amphibian chytridiomycosis in Madagascar puts an additional seven per cent of the world’s amphibian species at risk, according to figures from the Amphibian Survival Alliance (ASA). “The decline in Madagascan amphibians is not just a concern for herpetologists and frog researchers,” says Dr. Franco Andreone, “It would be a great loss for the entire world.”

Guest post by Dr. Dirk Schmeller
Originally published:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-02/hcfe-acf022615.php

02/8/15

Frogs and Water Quality

Yesterday, in class with the Cloud Institute and Sustainable Jersey (NJ Learns), each student got to briefly share their project, so I was describing the Frogs Are Green mission and projects on the agenda for 2015.

My teacher Jaimie P. Cloud, challenged me with this question. “Much of what Frogs Are Green is about is bringing awareness to the public, but is there a change I want in the public’s behavior?”

It made me think about one specific area that we can focus on which would help frogs and amphibians as well as other wildlife and humans, and that is water quality.

We know that there are many issues, such as, pollution and oil spills, pesticides and other toxins, pharmaceuticals, and these aren’t just affecting wildlife, but us as well. It’s humans that are creating many of these problems, so it’s obvious that we must be the ones to correct it.

I did a search on Google for Frogs and Water Quality and was surprised to learn there is currently no standard for water quality as it applies to frogs and amphibians:
“The factors thought to be contributing to declines in frog populations include habitat loss, introduction of exotic species, overexploitation, disease, climate change, and decreasing water quality. With respect to water quality, agroecosystems use 80-90% of the water resources in the western United States, frequently resulting in highly eutrophic conditions. Recent investigations suggest that these eutrophic conditions (elevated pH, water temperature, and un-ionized ammonia) may be associated with frog embryo mortality or malformations. However, water quality criteria for frogs and other amphibians do not currently exist. Here, we briefly review data that support the need to develop water quality parameters for frogs in agroecosystems and other habitats.”
(from this website: PMC1519110/http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1519110/)

What this tells me is that currently the water quality is tested to make sure it’s safe for humans, but there are no regulations in place for it to be safe for wildlife? Doesn’t it matter that it’s healthy for all life?

I’ll be reading much more on this issue and would like to invite you to share your thoughts or links to additional documentation you may have found.

Here’s a video I’d like to share because it shows just how important it is to educate the young with hands-on education from Marie Hartford, Science, 5th Grade Teacher and her students in Redmond, WA on the Teaching Channel about “Measuring the pH as it Relates to Water Quality.”

01/22/15

Irwin Quagmire Wart, Frog Book Author for Children

Please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your mission and goals.

I’m a frog so I’ve always been interested in our health and welfare. I have a baby brother and young cousins so I want to see our habitats preserved for them and for all future generations.

What is your educational background and what lead to sharing “The Land of of Lily Pad?”

I’m sorry to admit it, I have no formal education, but I’m loaded with street smarts… swamp smarts, if you prefer. Even though my name is Irwin Quagmire, lots of people know me by my initials, IQ because I am a very smart frog. I began writing books in 2011, after my first trip to France. Since then, I have written three other books, including a book on environmental stewardship for kids. After all, who knows more about being green than a frog!

Do you travel to exotic places and if yes, tell us about some of them.

The most exotic place I’ve been to is my home… Land of Lily Pad. It’s the most fabulous frog pond on earth… where humans are not allowed. So it’s still a beautiful, healthy, safe environment. Otherwise, I’ve only traveled a little in the US and Europe.

Please share your books and/or publications?

I have written, as I said before, four books:
Irwin Quagmire Wart Travels to Paris, France… a kid’s guide to the City of Lights
Irwin Quagmire Wart Travels Back in Time… a kid’s guide to life in Pioneer America
Green is Good… a kid’s guide to environmental stewardship
Perfectly Perfect – a rhyming book for young children that embraces the idea of self-acceptance and self-love no matter what you look like

What are some challenges you have faced and how did you deal with them?

I’m luckier than a lot of frogs. My family and friends have a clean, safe home. My biggest challenge is where to find the juiciest flies… all kidding aside, I am trying really, really hard to get my message out to the world and to get my books published. But it’s hard and very competitive.

What can people do to help? Donate, and contribute to your cause?

It would be helpful if my message and my website got promoted more. And it would be a dream to find a real publisher or literary agent… but I’m not holding my breath.

“Ask not what your swamp can do for you but what you can do for your swamp”… Irwin Quagmire Wart (and maybe John F. Kennedy). I believe this whole-heartedly and want to help your organization as much as I am able. I am planning on including a link to your website on mine: on the page, Irwin’s Favorite Things. If there’s more I can do, please let me know. My amanuensis can write pretty well and is very willing to contribute whatever she/we can.

How do you reach your targeted audience?
Is it through your website, advertising or social media or another route? Which is most effective and why?

I have a Facebook page: Irwin Quagmire Wart
A website: http://www.irwinquagmirewart.com/
Twitter account: @IrwinQWart
So far, none of them are effective but I am hoping that through Twitter, and reaching out to other frogs and frog-related people, I can drive more traffic to my website… and eventually, my books.

How do you keep the audience engaged over time?

I update my website often and try to include subjects that will be of interest to kids and adults, but are also near and dear to my heart; the environment is my big passion.

Tell us about your events around the world and some of the campaigns you have started.

None yet, but I have big plans…

What is in the works for the future? What haven’t you yet tackled, but will want to do soon?

My goal is to write a series of travel books for kids, focusing on unique world locations, both large and small. I believe that through travel, both children and frogs can learn that differences in appearance and culture are both good and interesting. By helping children to “see the world” (through a frog’s eyes) as a beautiful, non-scary place filled with interesting people, beautiful art, and amazing things to see and do, I hope to make the world seem a little smaller and certainly a place that needs protecting.

12/31/14

Pobblebonk Frogs in Australia

Rosemary Horton from Australia likes to keep Frogs Are Green readers up to date with her efforts to save frogs.

The photos below were taken with an ordinary digital camera through the lens of a school microscope, and shows the eggs and development of Pobblebonk Frogs (Limnodynastes dumerilii) to where she is ready to return them to suitable unpolluted areas.

About Pobblebonk Frogs from Wikipedia.org:

Limnodynastes dumerilii is a frog species from the family Myobatrachidae. The informal names for this species, and its subspecies, include Eastern or Southern Banjo Frog, and Bull frog. The frog is also called the pobblebonk after its distinctive “bonk” call, which is likened to a banjo string being plucked. It is native to eastern Australia and has been introduced to New Zealand. There are five subspecies of L. dumerilii, each with different skin coloration.

12/28/14

Frog Photography and Frog Art from Around the World

The 14 judges are currently reviewing the entries submitted for the 2014 contests. There are so many incredible entries from across Jersey City, New Jersey, the United States and 32 countries around the world. The winners will be announced in January, 2015.

Here is the collected data for the 2014 Frogs Are Green Kids Art Contest: 973 Entries

32 Countries entered the 2014 Frogs Are Green Kids Art Contest

Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, England, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Malaysia, Morocco, Philippines, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirate, and USA.

17 States from across the USA entered the 2014 Frogs Are Green Kids Art Contest

Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.

5 Cities in New Jersey entered the 2014 Frogs Are Green Kids Art Contest

Hoboken, Jersey City, Montclair, Piscataway, and South Brunswick.

16 Schools in Jersey City and Hoboken entered the 2014 Frogs Are Green Kids Art Contest

McNair Academic High School, PS #5, PS #23, MS #4, PS #3, PS #33, PS #28, MS #38, Golden Door Charter School, PS #25, PS #21, MS #7, Liberty High School, PS #31, Hoboken Catholic Academy, and the Hoboken Charter School.

Here is the collected data for the 2014 Frogs Are Green Photography Contests:

16 Countries entered the two 2014 Photography contests “Backyard Frogs” (34 entries) and “Frogs in the Wild” (56 entries)

Australia (NSW), Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, England, Germany, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Sri Lanka, and USA.

9 States in the USA entered the 2014 Frogs Are Green photography contests: “Backyard Frogs” and “Frogs in the Wild”

Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Below are the links to the 3 Flickr galleries, if you would like to see the imagery.

2014 Frogs Are Green Kids Art Contest

2014 Backyard Frogs Photo Contest

2014 Frogs in the Wild Contest

Thank you so much for your participation and good luck to all who entered! We would love to hear from the teachers and students! Tell us what you learned about frogs and amphibians! Tell us about the art mediums and techniques you used. If you’d like to post a video to the Frogs Are Green Facebook wall, we’d love to hear from you!

– Susan Newman, founder, Frogs Are Green, Inc. – A New Jersey nonprofit organization

12/21/14

Dr. Tyrone Hayes and Atrazine

This video is so important, we needed to share it on our site too. We have collaborated in the past with Save the Frogs on their campaign to Ban Atrazine.

Original broadcast:

http://www.democracynow.org – We speak with a University of California scientist Tyrone Hayes, who discovered a widely used herbicide may have harmful effects on the endocrine system. But when he tried to publish the results, the chemical’s manufacturer launched a campaign to discredit his work. Hayes was first hired in 1997 by a company, which later became agribusiness giant Syngenta, to study their product, Atrazine, a pesticide that is applied to more than half the corn crops in the United States, and widely used on golf courses and Christmas tree farms. When Hayes found results Syngenta did not expect — that Atrazine causes sexual abnormalities in frogs, and could cause the same problems for humans — it refused to allow him to publish his findings. A new article in The New Yorker magazine uses court documents from a class-action lawsuit against Syngenta to show how it sought to smear Hayes’ reputation and prevent the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from banning the profitable chemical, which is already banned by the European Union.

Democracy Now!, is an independent global news hour that airs weekdays on 1,200+ TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream 8-9am ET at http://www.democracynow.org.

Frogs Are Green

Environmental Organization Helping to Bring Awareness About Frog Decline Around The World

Category Archives: Learn about Frogs