Volunteers needed frog chorus surveys in Maryland?
Mood:  sharp
Topic: Out in the Field
Volunteers are needed to conduct North American Amphibian Monitoring
Program (NAAMP) roadside frog chorus surveys in Maryland. The
surveys are run 3 times a year starting in March and ending by July.
The surveys start about ½ hour after sunset and take about 2 to 3
hours to conduct. A survey route is about 15 miles long and has 10
stops. At each stop, the volunteer listen for 5 minutes and records
on a data sheet the species heard calling. No experience is needed.
I will provide a CD of Maryland Frog Calls and provide training on
how to identify frog calls. Historically we have 19 species of frogs
in Maryland. Please contact me if you are interested in
participating.

Thanks,
Wayne Hildebrand
Maryland Calling Amphibian Coordinator
301-845-6582
wayneh@netstorm.net

NAAMP Website:
http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/naamp/

Indiana NAAMP Training Dates
Mood:  sharp
Topic: Places to go

I wanted to let everyone know that we have now scheduled five training sessions for the NAAMP program.  The training sessions will be held in locations scattered across Indiana.  The trainings will be held at the following locations: All dates 2-4pm.

 

1.   February 9, 2008.

Sugar Ridge FWA

2310 E. SR 364

Winslow, IN 47598

 

2.   February 10, 2008.

Falls of the Ohio SP.

201 W. Riverside Dr.

Clarksville, IN 47129

 

3. February 16, 2008.

Atterbury FWA

7970 S. Rowe St. PO Box 3000

Edinburgh, IN 46124

 

4. February 23, 2008

Fish and Wildlife NE Regional Office

1353 South Governors Drive
Columbia City, IN 46725

 

5.  February 24, 2008.

Kankakee FWA

4320 W. Toto Rd, PO Box 77

North Judson, IN 46366

 

We are still looking to fill a number of routes throughout the state.  If you know of anyone interested in helping out with the NAAMP project, please let them know of the trainings. 

Ohio Amphibian Research and Conservation Conference
Mood:  sharp
Topic: Places to go

Wildlife Biologist Intern Position - Blanding's Turtles
Mood:  special
Topic: Out in the Field
Temporary Position: 6 months
Location: Grayslake, IL
Wage: $9.00 - 13.00/hr
Application deadline: March 7, 2008

The Wildlife Biologist Intern will be assisting with a Blanding's
turtle research project throughout Lake County. Will aid in all
aspects of data collection including, locating turtles via radio-
telemetry and environmental conditions at each location (weather and
soil parameters, water quality, canopy cover, dominant vegetation
types, water levels, etc.). Will be responsible for maintaining
equipment including traps, nets, radio telemetry equipment, nest
protection fencing, and remotely triggered digital cameras. Duties
will also include assisting with headstarting efforts and predator
surveys such as locating nests and eggs, transporting eggs to the
headstart facility, documenting nest predation and conducting scent
station surveys. May also assist with data entry.

EXPERIENCE:
Two years of course work in biology, ecology or a related field with
an interest in herpetology. Familiarity with radio telemetry and
turtle trapping is encouraged. Ability to swim and a strong comfort
level around water is required. Ability to work in inclement weather
conditions is required. Must posses a valid drivers license.

HOW TO APPLY AND APPLICATION DEADLINES:
Interest in Forest Preserve employment can be indicated by
submitting a resume or completed Forest Preserve employment
application. Applications are available at WWW.LCFPD.ORG or Lake
County Forest Preserve District, Human Resources Department, 2000 N.
Milwaukee Avenue. Libertyville, IL 60048, 847/367-6640.

Applications are accepted only for posted positions. Complete a job
interest card for other positions for which you are interested. The
card will be kept on file for six months pending an opening, and
will be mailed to you should an opening occur.

LAKE COUNTY FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT GENERAL INFORMATION:
The Lake County Forest Preserve District was created in 1958 and
provides over 25,600-acres in a county-wide system of natural,
cultural and recreational resources. Governed under Illinois law as
a special purpose unit of government, the mission of the Forest
Preserve District is to preserve a dynamic and unique system of
diverse natural and cultural resources, and to develop innovative
educational, recreational and cultural opportunities of regional
value, while exercising environmental and fiscal responsibility.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER
Posting Date: January 24, 2008


National Gold Medal Grand Award Winner...Best in America

First Annual Northwest PARC meeting, 26-27 February 2008, Missoula, MT?
Mood:  sharp
Topic: Places to go
The first Northwest PARC annual meeting has been scheduled! Please also
see the "Call For..." below!

The meeting is being held in conjunction with the Society for
Northwestern Vertebrate Biology (SNVB) and Montana Chapter of The
Wildlife Society (MT-TWS) joint meeting.
LOCATION: Holiday Inn Parkside, Missoula, MT
DATES: Tuesday 26 February - Wednesday 27 February 2008 (just under a
month from now!)

REGISTRATION AND LODGING: Registration for the NW PARC meeting (a
workshop within the joint meeting) is $75 for professionals and $30 for
students. This includes lunch on Tuesday, all breaks on Tuesday and
Wednesday, a hosted mixer with snacks and beverages on Monday and
Tuesday evenings, and viewings of herp-themed films from the
International Wildlife Film Festival on Monday and Tuesday nights.
-- See http://www.parcplace.org/regionalupdates.html#northwest for the
online registration link, lodging, and additional NW PARC meeting
details.

AGENDA: A draft agenda will soon be posted on the above website!
Topics will include the ReGAP project, NRCS Conservation Program
opportunities in the Farm Bill, and State- and Province-based updates on
herpetological conservation issues and activities from across the
region. There are still two open slots in the agenda! See below for
further information.
-- In addition, other partners have planned a special session on ranid
reintroductions and recovery efforts for Wednesday 27 February evening
from 7 - 9 pm MT. , specifically with respect to northern leopard frogs
and Oregon spotted frogs. There is no additional registration fee for
attending this session.

CALL FOR:
-- TALKS! Two 20-minute slots in the agenda are available! We are
seeking, in particular, talks which demonstrate success stories in
amphibian and (better yet) reptile conservation through partnerships,
such as with industry (timber, energy, pet, etc.), local landowners,
Departments of Transportation, or other "non-traditional" partnerships.
Please contact Priya Nanjappa Mitchell (pnanjappa@fishwildlife.org) if
you can provide (or know of someone who can provide) such a talk!
-- NW PARC co-chair nominations! Co-chairs will be elected at the
meeting - if you would like to nominate someone (including yourself),
please send names and e-mail addresses to interim Chair Dede Olson
(dedeolson@fs.fed.us). See
http://www.parcplace.org/documents/PARC_RWG_co_chairs_duties_FINAL.doc
for a description of duties.
-- Regional Steering Committee member nominations! During the meeting,
we hope to assemble a regional Steering Committee. These people will
serve as a regional advisory team to assist the co-chairs with
agenda-building for subsequent annual meetings, help to track the
progress of regional Task Teams by liaising with Task Team Leaders,
evaluate items brought to the region via the PARC Joint National
Steering Committee, and related activities. Time commitment is
typically 2-4 hours per month in planning conference calls and e-mails.
The makeup of the Steering Committee, ideally, is reflective of PARC's
makeup, and includes state, federal, NGO, academic, and industry
representatives, but anyone who is willing will not be turned away! If
you would like to nominate Regional Steering Committee members
(including yourself), please send names to interim Chair Dede Olson
(dedeolson@fs.fed.us).

Please contact Bryce (bmaxell@mt.gov), Dede (dedeolson@fs.fed.us), or
Priya Nanjappa Michell (pnanjappa@fishwildlife.org) should any
meeting-related questions arise. Feel free to forward this message to
your colleagues and friends.

Hope to see you in Missoula!

2008 Southeastern Ecology and Evolution Conference Florida State University Call For Abstracts?
Mood:  sharp
Topic: Places to go
Florida State University will host the 2008 Southeastern Ecology and
Evolution Conference and is announcing a call for abstracts for
presentations of research. This is a scientific symposium aimed at
graduate, post-doctoral, and undergraduate researchers in the fields
of ecology, systematics, and evolutionary biology. The conference
will be held on the campus of Florida State University on March 28-30, 2008.


Abstract Submission Information

Researchers interested in presenting posters or 15-minute talks are
invited to submit abstracts pertaining to:
- Animal Behavior
- Conservation
- Ecology
- Evolution
- Functional Morphology
- History and Philosophy of Science
- Systematics


The deadline for the early registration and submission of abstracts
is Friday, February 29, 2008. The final date to submit abstracts is
Friday March 14, 2008 at 5:00 PM, EST. Please submit your abstract
along with registration at the SEEC website, found at
<http://bio.fsu.edu/~eerdg/seec/>http://bio.fsu.edu/~eerdg/seec/.

Abstracts should be limited to 250 words, and please include any
primary and co-authors as well as session preference. Information
about poster and talk requirements is available on the SEEC
website. Early registration fees for the meeting are $15; late
registration fees are $35.


Please contact David McNutt
(<mailto:dmcnutt@bio.fsu.edu>dmcnutt@bio.fsu.edu) for questions
regarding registration or abstract submission, or general questions
about SEEC to Amanda Buchanan
(<mailto:abuchanan@bio.fsu.edu>abuchanan@bio.fsu.edu) or Eric Jones
(ejones@bio.fsu.edu).

Contest could give $50,000 to help with amphibian conservation
Mood:  incredulous
Topic: Articles

Children's Eternal Rainforest needs prize winnings to save endangered frogs only found in the preserve.

http://www.prlog.org/10045236-only-environmental-group-with-chance-to-win-50-000-contest-fights-for-survival.html

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

# # #

About MCLUS:
Monteverde Conservation League US, Inc., founded in April 2002, was formed primarily to support the work and programs of the Monteverde Conservation League (MCL) in Monteverde, Costa Rica which owns and maintains 54,000+ acres of the Bosque Eterno de Los Niños (Children’s Eternal Rain Forest). Our goal is to aid the MCL and other organizations in their efforts "to support the conservation and rehabilitation of tropical ecosystems and their biodiversity."

# # #

---

*WFB notes: Lithobates is the new taxa for many frogs formerly known as Rana.

Central Indiana FrogWatchers meeting review
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Articles
Wednesday was a great meeting of the Central Indiana FrogWatchers (CIFW) www.myspace.com/cifw . Our first meeting of 2008, the Year of the Frog www.yearofthefrog.org had a fair turnout, but by far the fartherst travel to any meeting. We had several new faces wanting to learn how to help the frogs of their community. Todd Pierson was the guest speaker and did a superb job. His topic was "Indiana Field Herping" and he explained the different types of field heping, and also talked about photographing amphibians and reptiles. He has some fantastic pictures, most of in Indiana, though he has herped throughout the country and even in Europe. His photos have been showcased at the Zion Nature Center and he has been voted Field Herper of the Month by www.fieldherperforum.com . He and his friend Andrew Coffman are working on a new website that will have every amphibian and reptile in Indiana, complete with photos and natural history for each. Don't be surprised when Todd's pictures are on the cover of wildlife publications. We have a great lineup of speakers for the Year of the Frog, so please try to check out a meeting and see how easy and fun it can be to help conserve frogs and toads. Thanks to Todd and to all that came out to the meeting. Hoppy Herping!

Amphibian Chimeras
Mood:  mischievious
Topic: Out in the Field

I think I may have made a discovery that is unknown to science, at least I have not found any literature on this. Let me explain my discovery and tell me what you think. This was my first day of herping for 2008 and it was great to get out and streatch my legs. I went to Bryan Woods after hearing reports of other Hoosier Herpers finding many species of salamanders and frogs and had high expectations. I also went to Camp Cullom for some herping before the Central Indiana FrogWatchers meeting that evening. While I did see my first countable herp, it was unfortunatley dead. A bullfrog tadpole had washed ashore near the dam. I will explain the schene at Bryan Woods and let me if anyone has ever experienced somrthing similar.

 

1/9/08 1pm-2pm Temperature about 40degrees F It was partly cloudy with much rain in the last 2 days

Under a log, half round with approx diameter of 10 inches, I saw the tail and counted a few costal ridges of what I believed to be a smallmouth salamander (Ambystoma texanum). I watched for a few seconds trying to decide if I should try for a picture where it was, or grab and measure it first and then stage a shot. I decided to go for the grab. I held the log up with my leg, balanced my Furmont Stump Ripper on my other leg and slowly went in fot the capture. right as I was about to put my fingers on it, it changed right in front of my eyes. By the time I got a hold of it, it had went from the animal form of a smallmouth salamander to the plant for of a bur oak leaf that was wet and curled to the exact shape of a salamander tail. The costal grooves had changed into leaf veins.

This could very well explain why salamanders are so hard to find throughout the year. During the brreding season, they are pre-occupied to worry about their special form of evolutionary camoflauge. I am pretty sure I have also seen this in a few species of frogs, and even turtles. I have tracked a frog, been very sly getting the dip net ready and when I go for the capture, I end up with a hickory nut that apparently I was supposed to believe was floating there and not the frog I had been focusing on. I also saw a snapping turtle on the bottom of a pond that changed into a tree root, a very strangley shaped tree root, but a root none the less. If you have ever experienced this, please let me know and maybe we can collaborate on this very unusual discovery to science.

Central Indiana FrogWatchers schedule to kick off the Year of the Frog
Mood:  sharp
Topic: Places to go

Wednesday January 9^th 2008 CIFW meeting at Camp Cullom Lodge

Special Guest Speaker

Todd Pierson-Nature Photographer, Field Herper and local FrogWatcher

"Indiana Field Herping"

 

 

 

Wednesday February 13^th 2008 CIFW meeting at Camp Cullom Lodge

Special Guest Speakers

Rick Marrs and Barry Hammer-Hoosier Herpetological Society

www.hoosierherpsociety.org

"Field Herping for Amphibians in Indiana"-video

 

 

 

Saturday February 23^rd 2008 CIFW brings you

FrogWatch USA Training Workshop

Free and Open to anyone with an interest in frogs or volunteering to help them

Please Pre-register at wzetterberg@hotmail.com

 

 

 

Friday February 29^th 2008 LEAP Day-A Day for Frog and Toad Conservation-part of the Year of the Frog Festivities

www.yearofthefrog.org www.amphibianark.org www.aza.org/yearofthefrog

 

 

Wednesday March 12^th 2008 CIFW meeting at Camp Cullom Lodge

Special Guest Speaker

Dave MacGowan-Chicago's Ravenswood Media-Film Maker

DVD: 'Caves:Life Beneath the Forest Floor' & soon to be 'Songs of Spring'

www.midwestfrogs.com www.cavebiota.com

 

 

Wednesday April 9^th 2008 CIFW meeting at Camp Cullom Lodge

Special Guest Speaker

Dr. Michael Finkler-Indiana University Kokomo

"Salamander Springtime Love-In: A Look at the Physiological Ecology of Ambystomatids During Reproduction" http://www.indiana.edu/~nimsmsf/

Food...Chain, Chain, Chain...of Deformities
Mood:  accident prone
Topic: Articles

Environmental causes of frog deformities finally identified

I don't know if I would say "finally", but its great they are getting the info out there. Its crazy how extra fertilizer can increase snails that infect frogs that get eaten by birds and poop in the water and release the snails and ....but you end up with malformed frogs and thats not good.

Has the whole world gone hopping mad??2008 is the YEAR of the FROG!
Mood:  happy
Topic: Articles

On New Year's Eve, Zoos Hop into 'The Year of the Frog' with Leapfrog Events Starting in New Zealand and Ending in California

---

A GIANT frog has made the jump from Wiltshire to London in preparation for the 2008 Year of the Frog celebrations.

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Living Desert invites kids to leap into 2008

Upcoming year designated the Year of the Frog

---

Kids get chance to leap into '08

---

Detroit Zoo Leaps Presents 'Year Of Frog'

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Leap-frog event New Year's Eve highlights threatened amphibians

---

WOW, I am excited about the "Year of the Frog", If you know of activities you would like to see me post about, let me know.

 

HOPPY   NEW   YEAR!!!

Cane Toads: An Untold History-SEQUAL
Mood:  incredulous
Topic: Media
TWENTY years after Mark Lewis amused us and disturbed us with his inventive documentary about cane toads taking over Australia, the Mullumbimby-based filmmaker is going to revisit the topic. Lewis made some predictions in Cane Toads: An Untold History about how quickly the ugly critter would advance south from Queensland. Now he says he underestimated its spread. "Whatever we throw at it - genetic engineering, viruses, the army, physical barriers such as traps, fences and dogs - nothing seems to work," he says. The South American toad was introduced to sugarcane fields in 1935 from Hawaii in an attempt to control cane beetles. "It is a great story for our times about biological control gone wrong and nature running amok," says Lewis. Hardly a day goes by when he doesn't have to deal with a query about the original 45-minute documentary, an indication of its ongoingpopularity. The new film will be feature length.

Endangered Australia Frog needs cooridors
Mood:  blue
Topic: Articles

Endangered NSW frog disappearing

Even setting aside safe habitat, they need a safe way to get from one to another. So many hazard on the road, residential areas, pesticide filled fields...

Wyoming Toad Recovery #1 on Wildlife Success Stories of '07
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Articles

The captive breeding and release of the Wyoming Toad, listed as "extinct in the wild" was #1 on the Top Ten Wildlife Sucess Stories on 2007. The Detroit Zoo has led the way for their recovery!

Top Ten Wildlife Conservation Success Stories in 2007 Zoos and Aquariums Celebrate 10 Wildlife Conservation Successes If you have never been to the Detroit Zoo and seen the National Ampbibian Conservation Center, it needs to be added to your todo list. It is awesome. From their work with the Panamanian Golden Frog to the Giant Japanese Salamanders, it is a wonderful place for an amphibian lover such as yourself. If you wasnt to go this Holiday season, here is a little added incentive. Detroit Zoo discounts aimed at kids

 

Will the Red-Legged Frog finally get the land it deserves?
Mood:  special
Topic: Articles

Old MacDonald had a farm, ei, ei, oh....

and since she was deputy assistant secretary in the Interior Department she influenced rulings to unfairly protect her farm, ei, ei oh

and now she was uncovered and everything she touched has to be re-examined, ei, ei, oh

with a reversal here, and a maybe there, now theres frogs, now theres lynx, but the tax payers have to pay again and it stinks, stinks, ei....ei...oh

Group sues to protect Mark Twain's 'celebrated jumping frog'

Suit seeks to restore millions of acres to 13 species' habitat

California Red-Legged Frog Jumps into Court

Suit challenges Bush on habitat protection (this one has many comments if you have an extra five minutes of your life you can't get back)

Suit Seeks Review of Habitat Designation for "Twain's Jumping Frog"
Decisions influenced by disgraced Interior Department official should be overturned

Don't forget to browse through my older articles for the original denial of this. Feel free to comment about "Twain's Pain".

Year of the Frog Lecture in Columbus with Dr. Kevin Zippel
Mood:  sharp
Topic: Places to go

Year of the Frog Lecture in Cleveland with Edgardo Griffith
Mood:  sharp
Topic: Places to go

A Year of the Frog Lecture with Edgardo Griffith

Houston Year of the Frog Speaker -Joe Mendelson, Zoo Atlanta
Mood:  sharp
Topic: Places to go
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Year of the Frog
Joe Mendelson, Zoo Atlanta
Ron Gagliardo, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Edgardo Griffith, El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center, Panama

If you haven’t heard about the Global Amphibian Crisis, don’t miss this presentation. A recent assessment of the world’s 5,000-plus amphibian species indicates that nearly a third of all frogs, toads and salamanders are threatened with extinction. Our two speakers for the evening, Joe Mendelson of Zoo Atlanta and Ron Gagliardo of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and Edgardo Giffith of the Houston Zoo, are among those fighting on the front lines in the battle to save these endangered creatures. Their presentation helps to kick off 2008 as the Year of the Frog, which will be celebrated by zoos and aquariums across the United States.

In addition to the loss of habitat, particularly in the tropical forest regions of the world, a growing threat to amphibian populations is the spread of a newly-discovered fungus known as chytrid. Population die-offs due to the spread of chytrid have reached epidemic proportions in different parts of the world, including Central America. Our speakers will share tales of their exploits in the jungles of Panama and neighboring countries, where they have personally witnessed the drastic disappearance of species like Panamanian Golden Frogs and mounted collecting expeditions in the hopes of establishing viable captive colonies of species that may not survive in the wild.

The efforts undertaken by Mendelson, Gagliardo and Griffith go hand-in-hand with those of our own Houston Zoo, which is attempting to establish similar amphibian breeding programs in Panama itself. These programs are yielding tangible results with several of the world’s most spectacular and threatened species of amphibians. These programs are yiedling tangible results with several of the world's most spectacular and threatened species of amphibians. Our speakers will explain how these initiatives fit into the larger global campaign to save amphibian species from extinction, and what concerned citizens can do to help support this cause.

For more information about the Zoo's involvement in amphibian conservation, click here.

Year of the Frog-Leap Day opening at St. Louis Zoo
Mood:  sharp
Topic: Places to go

Mark your calendars, the St. Louis Zoo will open its exhibit "Awesome Amphibians" on Leap Day, February 29th. The AZA has dubbed 2008 as the Year of the Frog and 2/29 as the frog day of the year-leap day!

St. Louis Zoo to Open Amphibian Exhibit