Solutions
Frogs are dying out, but there is plenty you can do to help! Here are some things you can do.
Donate
There are a number of great organizations dedicated to conserving frog and other amphibians species. By donating to them, you can aid their efforts! Some wonderful groups include:
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If you can't afford to donate, you can always fundraise instead. Many of these organizations also have stores, so you can support them by purchasing their merchandise. That said, you don't have to provide monetary aid to save amphibians!
Volunteer
Volunteer your time! Many of these organizations accept volunteers. For example, FrogWatch USA is a great organization whose volunteers, appropriately called citizen scientists, participate in listening to frog calls around them, and upload them to the FrogWatch online database. One example of their success is how citizen scientists recently discovered a population of a newly discovered frog species, the Atlantic Coast leopard frog, in Virginia, where no one previously knew they lived. By taking the simple training to become a citizen scientist, others can also help track where amphibian populations are and how many of them are there. SAVE THE FROGS! is an international frog conservation organization, and accepts volunteers for just about anything, from web design to contest judging to iPhone app developer! No matter what you're good at, you can help by volunteering.
Build a Frog Pond
Just as amphibians' biggest threat is habitat destruction, creating habitats for them is one of the best ways to help them! This can vary from a small pond in your backyard to a large wetland habitat by your school. You can also create more habitat for toads! One way to do this is by creating small toad homes, which are taking ceramic pots with one or two holes in them for toads to enter and exit. Another way to create more habitat is by abstaining from the use of pesticides and herbicides, which can greatly harm amphibians, so that they can live safely in your gardens and around you home! Anything you do creates a home for amphibians to live in.
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
Other ways to assist amphibians include reducing consumption of water, energy, and other resources. By avoiding products that come from rainforests, consumers can reduce their ecological footprint and reduce the destruction of one of the largest amphibian habitats. Certain goods harm amphibians far more directly as well. One of amphibians’ largest threats, amphibian trade, could be greatly reduced if more people chose not to eat frog legs, dissect amphibians, buy wild-caught amphibians as pets, or purchase amphibians for fish bait. There are several alternatives to using amphibians for all of these purposes, such as virtual frog dissections, and the need for amphibian trade is ultimately trifling. As “[t]he costs [of amphibian trade] include potentially spreading diseases, the chance of escape of non-native species and their establishment as feral populations, and the loss of freedom the captive amphibian is forced to deal with against its consent [...] the inherent risk is simply not worth it,” says SAVE THE FROGS! founder and executive director Dr. Kerry Kriger. Money is powerful, and by choosing what and what not to support with it, consumers can create a significant impact.
Spread the Word
One of the biggest barriers in protecting amphibians is the lack of awareness about the issue. Most people simply do not know or understand the severity of frogs' plight. By talking with friends and family, teaching classes, making videos or writing stories and more, people can influence others to support these creatures as well. Teaching classes, holding events, and passing out flyers are just a few more ways people can communicate and share this information with those around them.
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Spreading the word is not limited to speaking, however. Writing, creating art work, making videos, and creating websites like this one are all ways you can help frogs!
Listed here is just a few of the ways you can help amphibians, but there are many, many more. Visit SAVE THE FROGS'​ website for a comprehensive list and explanation of over 60 ways you can save the frogs!
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