Mood:
sharpTopic: Places to go
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Wendell Zetterberg, Jr.
95 N Spring St. Apt. B
Frankfort, IN 46041
765-249-2298
The Central Indiana Frog Watchers (CIFW) will have very special guest speaker Dr. Michael Finkler, Indiana University Kokomo, at the April meeting speaking about SALAMANDERS!
Frankfort, IN April 9, 2008 (the Year of the Frog), The guest speaker for the April 9th CIFW meeting, 7pm at the Camp Cullom Lodge will be Dr. Michael Finkler, Indiana University Kokomo. Dr. Finkler has a wide range of field experience throughout the Midwest involving snakes, turtles, salamanders and frogs. He has also recently released the book, Biology of the Snapping Turtle. The topic will be “Salamander Springtime Love-In: A Look at the Physiological Ecology of Ambystomatids During Reproduction”.
Of the 23 salamander species in Indiana, 8 of them fall in the Ambystoma (mole salamander) family with many having elaborate mating rituals, not to mention the rule breaking unisexual hybrids, the rebels of the amphibian world. The Central Indiana FrogWatchers are equal opportunity amphibian conservers. Even though the salamanders do not have have calls that can be heard for FrogWatch, we still want to make things better for them, since like frogs, they act as environmental health indicators..
Central Indiana Frog Watchers (CIFW) is a group of nature enthusiasts with a special fondness for amphibians. Frogs and toads are declining throughout the world, and through the NWF program Frogwatch USA www.nwf.org/frogwatchusa , citizen volunteers can listen for frogs in their community and let scientists know about the populations. We are a small, but growing, group that meets at the Camp Cullom (near Frankfort IN) on the second Wednesday of each month at 7pm. While being a Frogwatch USA volunteer is not required, it is encouraged. We have special guest speakers each month as well as our newsletter the ToadTimes. Check us out at www.myspace.com/cifw
Frogwatch USA, a joint partnership of the National Wildlife Federation and the United States Geological Survey (USGS), is a long-term frog and toad monitoring program educating citizens on how to get involved in their community to:
*Collect and report information about frog and toad populations in the United States.
*Promote an appreciation for the diversity of frog and toad species in the United States.
*Foster an understanding of the importance of protecting wetland habitats.
*Provide an opportunity to learn about and establish a closer relationship with the natural environment.
In 2002, The NWF joined forces with the USGS to work on an exciting amphibian conservation initiative called Frogwatch USA. A volunteer based monitoring program, Frogwatch USA is instrumental in collecting desperately needed amphibian data and raising citizen awareness about species and habitat decline.
Many of our country’s once-thriving frog and toad populations have declined dramatically. Today, even previously abundant species can be hard to find. The degradation and destruction of wetland habitat and increased air and water pollution contributes to their decline. Since amphibians can serve as “canaries in a coal mine”- indicators of larger, broader environmental problems- it is essential that we have a better understanding of our amphibian crisis.
Frogwatch USA was created to meet that need. Frogwatch USA gives citizens across the country-young and old alike- an opportunity to be directly involved in gathering the information that can ultimately lead to practical and workable ways to help stop the decline of these important species.
Frogwatch USA is also a great was for parents, teachers and youth group leaders to teach children about nature. It is not only a great way to help wildlife in your community, but also a great way to experience nature with its future stewards.
For more information about Frogwatch USA, visit http://www.nwf.org/frogwatchUSA/
For more information about the CIFW: Wendell Zetterberg, Jr. wzetterberg@gmail.com 765-249-2298
###
