Categorized | Environment, Sci-Tech

‘Save the Frogs Day’ events around the world (April 30)

MEDIA RELEASE

Amphibians are rapidly disappearing around the planet, and a worldwide effort is underway to save them. The 2nd Annual Save The Frogs Day, taking place Friday, April 30, is the largest day of amphibian education and conservation action in the planet’s history.

More than 80 Save The Frogs Day events are being held in 20 countries, including the United States, Canada, Ireland, Madagascar, India, South Africa, and Australia. The events are being coordinated by SAVE THE FROGS!, America’s first and only public charity dedicated to amphibian conservation.

Amphibian populations worldwide have been declining at unprecedented rates, and nearly one-third of the world’s amphibian species are threatened with extinction. Up to 200 species have already completely disappeared in recent years.

“Habitat destruction and an infectious disease called chytridiomycosis are decimating frog populations worldwide” says Dr. Kerry Kriger, Founder & Executive Director of Save the Frogs. To make matters worse, pollution and pesticides are weakening frogs’ immune defenses and in some cases even turning male frogs into females. There are 18,000 registered pesticides in the United States.

Kriger said he hopes Save The Frogs Day will dramatically increase frog awareness on a global scale.

“This is one of the most significant environmental issues of the 21st century. Save The Frogs Day is all about people stepping up, getting involved, and taking action in their own community, and that’s exactly what is happening”, Kriger said.

Save The Frogs Day events include presentations by scientists worldwide; a moonlit frog walk in Seattle’s Discovery Park; a Frog Leap-a-Thon in Toronto, and a frog art contest in Brazil. The Miss Earth South Africa ladies will join in the action by teaching children in the villages about frogs.

The first protests in defense of frog populations in the planet’s history will take place at restaurants in Virginia, Maryland and Texas. The restaurant chain refuses to remove the frog legs from their menus. Over 100 million frogs are taken out of the wild for food each year. Save the Frogs recently succeeded in getting San Francisco’s Restaurant Gary Danko to remove wild-caught Pig Frogs from its menu.

Save The Frogs Day has been legally recognized by Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia; Mayor Gregor Robertson of Vancouver, B.C.; and Mayor Mike Rotkin of Santa Cruz, Calif. Rotkin will join Kriger for his morning talk on frogs at an elementary school. Kriger also will give an interview on Martha Stewart Radio and then he will present a free online webinar on amphibian conservation. In the evening he will give a lecture on The Wild World of Frogs and lead a frog walk through the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Reserve.

What’s next? Dr. Kriger says Save the Frogs will be organizing an International Day of Pesticide Action, planned for Oct. 24.

— Find out more:
Save The Frogs Day: www.savethefrogs.com/day

One Response to “‘Save the Frogs Day’ events around the world (April 30)”

  1. pennsy says:

    FWIW-how about we take the coquis off that list? Frogs are important and good and the bufo, frankly is a favorite, but the coquis are too noisy- like buzzing mosquitos, ramping up.

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