Spindly Leg Syndrome, a Review by Ed Kowalski Photos © Ed Kowalski
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Director’s Welcome The Magazine of Tree Walkers International Road to Stewardship There is a peculiar human drive to RON SKYLSTAD organize and categorize, and in the Editor conservation world it is no different. © Jason Brown When we first aligned ourselves organizationally with our goals at ED KOWALSKI TWI, we examined the individuals and organizations involved in NATHANIEL PAULL our corner of the amphibian conservation effort and looked for a Assistant Editors structure that would reflect the organization’s ethos. Eventually, we settled on “stewards” working as part of an amphibian “network.” And so, our loose grouping of captive amphibian keepers became the MARCOS OSORNO Amphibian Steward Network (ASN). Executive Director As we move forward, I ask for your help in the stewardship of two wonderful, interrelated things. First and foremost, in the continued BRENT L. BROCK care and conservation of amphibians and their habitat. In TWI, we Program Director all share a connection to our natural world through amphibians. Those who keep amphibians in captivity maintain a window into a natural habitat under immense pressures. This connection to nature MISSION STATEMENT is vital to maintaining a conservation ethos, and I am proud to be Tree Walkers International supports the part of a community through a wonderful hobby that is steeped protection, conservation, and restoration of in ethical traditions and perennially introspective in regards to its wild amphibian populations through hands-on future. action both locally and internationally. Next, I ask for your help in stewardship of the network itself. We foster personal relationships between people and nature by providing opportunities TWI and ASN are volunteer driven projects. Your involvement and for citizens of all ages to become directly generous membership dues and donations have made everything that involved in global amphibian conservation. we have done to date possible. The publication of the Dendrobates Through this involvement, our volunteers variabilis Taxon Management Guide is our first effort at managing become part of a growing and passionate animals within TWI. Taxon management will be a learn-as-we-go advocacy for the protection and restoration of wild amphibian populations and the process by fits and starts. However, I am confident that we, as a environment on which they depend. network, will see our efforts metamorphose into a viable, healthy conservation program. In the months to come, I look forward to our collective stewardship and to being a part of this process. Thank you for your ongoing support, and I’ll see you on the road ahead. Sincerely, Marcos Osorno Executive Director www.treewalkers.org Vol. 1, Number 2 Winter 2007 Many who enjoy the hobby of keeping amphibians have a long cultured interest in a natural history that often has its roots sunk deeply within the sticky mud of a local wetland. My fondest childhood memories are of springtime romps to the nearest swamp to explore, inevitably leading to a cup filled with tadpoles, mud, and duckweed. My reluctance to leave the swamp led to many attempts in bringing it home with me. This took the form of contrived aquariums, terrariums, and various buried buckets, kiddie pools, sinks and even a cast iron bathtub. The small pools mostly grew algae and mosquitoes, but in the late spring after rainy evenings, a peculiar thing would happen: I would occasionally hear the distinct plop of a frog jumping into the puddle-ponds that dotted the backyard. The frogs would usually stay for a few days and then disappear. How could it be that such a small, delicate creature was able to travel the half-mile distance from the wetland to find these tiny aquatic oases? I have never forgotten the seemingly magical ability for nature to locate and utilize every potential niche, requiring only the proper invitation to do so. Since those early days in the swamp I have traffic circle in the very center of town. are 10’ x 10’, which is quite small by continued to experiment in creating After some convincing it was agreed ornamental pond standards, but a size ponds and bogs and am happy to share upon that the water feature would be that is easily manageable for a one my latest incarnation. modeled after a wetland and contain no person weekend project and requires In the summer of 2006 I set out to ornamental fish, no moving water, and nothing more than hand tools and a build a small aquatic landscape feature no mechanical filtration. little perspiration. The pond is oriented for my sister, whose home sits on a The dimensions of the pond site on the south-facing front of the house Urban Wetland | 1 and receives un-shaded direct sun population. For these reasons it is retain my substrate and keep it from throughout the day. This abundance important to not skimp on allocated eventually falling and collecting in the of sunshine is both a blessing and a area, and in this design it encompasses deepest portion of the pond. curse when building a pond. A body of half of the total pond area. It is planted Two substrate layers were used: water exposed to such an abundance with arrowhead, pickerel rush, and the first being organically composted of direct light will have a tendency cattail. topsoil (approximately a half-inch to grow copious amounts of algae The third zone is 5 inches deep deep) and the second consisting of unless the design and substrates of the and, upon the addition of substrate, expanded shale (3-5 inches deep). The pond instead encourage the growth of becomes an emerged bog area, allowing topsoil was used as an initial nutrient vascular plants. terrestrial bog plants to be introduced and mineral source for the plants. This pond was built with four for cover and live sphagnum moss for The expanded shale is affordable, depth zones, each of which promotes moist, but not soggy, ground cover. lightweight, does not decompose, the growth of various vascular Some of the plants included here are and provides a continuous span of emergent plants to out-compete the boneset, Joe-Pye weed, forget-me- substrate for the planting and growth algae. The deepest of these zones is nots, horsetail, and various sedges and of aquatic and emergent vegetation. I in the middle of the pond and has a rushes. am fortunate enough to have friends depth of 24 inches, which I have found The fourth and final zone is with ponds and wetlands who allowed deep enough to prevent solid freezing completely terrestrial and provides me to collect the majority of my here in Southern Pennsylvania and foraging cover as well as habitat for planting material. I dug up the plants, is important for the over wintering of prey. taking as much care as possible to not amphibians. Winter-hardy water lilies damage the roots and include an ample were planted in this zone along with a I used a flexible liner to act as my amount of natural wetland soil. I feel variety of other aquatic plants. water barrier and decided not to use that it is very important to also include an under-layment because the soil was The second zone is the marginal ecologically active “seeding mud” to not rocky, and round rocks were used kick off the ecology that will support zone and is 12 inches deep. This zone is for the landscaping. These rocks were the ecological workhorse of the pond, a technologically devoid pond. These built up on the back side of the pond intact microscopic communities work providing the majority of vegetation to retain the soil and hold up the liner. necessary for nutrient uptake and key with the plants to turn nitrogenous Each change in depth zone was backed wastes into plant matter. reproductive habitat for the amphibian by the rocks to create “planters” to Dense growth of emergent vegetation is very important for the health of the pond when using no mechanical filtration and the pond is oriented in direct sunlight. 2 | Leaf Litter :: Winter 2007 CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: The urban wetland changes through- out the growing season. It is shown here in spring, late spring, and late summer. The seeding mud, along with the to the amount of sun. I also partially The plants began to die toward the mud attached to the plants, weighed attribute this to my organic compost end of October and after they turned in the neighborhood of 200 pounds. sub-layer (in future projects I may brown, I cut back and removed all of The plants were collected in naturally exclude this). The pond was less than the dead vegetation before it naturally occurring, non-selective “bunches” of attractive during this phase, but it fell into the water (too much decaying various species and planted with as subsided just a month later. matter in the bottom of the pond can little disturbance as possible. Some The first amphibians began to lower oxygen levels and the pH of the plants were purchased, mostly for appear following a rainy, early autumn water during periods of ice cover). I cut ornamental reasons, and included evening after the pond had acclimated the hollow stems of the cattails so that bog bean, pitcher plants, ornamental and was approximately three months they were above the water to facilitate grasses, and sedums. old. Pickerel frogs and green frogs were air exchange below the eventual ice. Immediately following the planting observed through the end of October. This past spring, as the plants woke and the addition of water, the pond These frogs had to traverse roads, from their winter slumber, the water went through an acclimation phase backyards, and sidewalks for three- remained very clear—the plants grew denoted by the occurrence of a serious quarters of a mile to make it to the in so densely that there was much less algae bloom.