AMPHIBIAN CONSERVATION 2010 Highlights and Accomplishments 1 Table of Contents Introduction 3 Citizen Science 4 SSP Conservation 6 Assurance Populations and Conservation Breeding 7 Field Surveys and Research 12 Reintroduction and Head-starting 13 2 Introduction In 2008, AZA made a long-term commitment to global amphibian conservation that focused on increasing the capacity of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums to respond to threats facing amphibians, to create and sustain assurance populations of threatened amphibians, and to increase public awareness of and engagement in amphibian conservation. With the support and hard work of directors, curators, keepers, and partners, AZA- accredited zoos and aquariums maintained their commitment, and in 2010, saw conservation progress and successes both locally and around the world. This report features some of the successes in citizen science, research, field work, the creation of assurance populations, and successes in conservation breeding. AZA congratulates all members for their on-going efforts and dedication. Learn more about how to get involved in amphibian conservation by contacting any of the authors listed in this report or the Amphibian TAG Chair, Diane Barber ([email protected]). By: Shelly Grow, AZA Conservation Biologist ([email protected]) This report is available on the AZA Web site at: http://www.aza.org/amphibian-news/. Submissions included in this report were solicited in December 2010 through emails sent to the AZA Amphibian Taxon Advisory Group-related listserv. Cover photo: Oregon spotted frog, credit Michael Durham, Oregon Zoo 3 Citizen Science FrogWatch USA Opens Local Chapters AZA recognizes the following 18 facilities for By Shelly Grow, Association of Zoos and Aquariums opening local FrogWatch USA Chapters in 2010: FrogWatch USA is an AZA citizen science program - Birmingham Zoo, Birmingham, Ala. that encourages community stewardship by - Sequoia Park Zoo, Eureka, Calif. training volunteers to listen and report the breeding - Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Colorado Springs, Colo. calls of frogs and - Brevard Zoo, Melbourne, Fla. toads in their - Zoo Miami, Miami, Fla. communities. In - St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, St. 2010, AZA began providing materials that allow Augustine, Fla. facilities to open their own Chapter of FrogWatch - Howard County Dept. of Recreation & Parks, Md. USA. Chapters can be branded by the facility and - Detroit Zoological Society, Detroit, Mich. tailored to meet the community’s needs. Chapters - Saint Louis Zoo, St. Louis, Mo. engage people in science and conservation and - North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, Kure empower each volunteer to do more. Beach, NC - Jenkinson's Aquarium, Point Pleasant Beach, NJ Opening a FrogWatch USA Chapter contributes to - Metro Parks, Serving Summit County, Akron, Ohio amphibian conservation, links ex situ programs to in - Lehigh Valley Zoo, Schnecksville, Penn. situ conservation, and promotes AZA-accredited - Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence, RI zoos and aquariums within their local community. - Chattanooga Zoo, Chattanooga, Tenn. Chapters also support a national network of - Knoxville Zoo, Knoxville, Tenn. FrogWatch - San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio, Texas USA Chapters - Oglebay's Good Zoo, Wheeling, W.Va. and volunteers that together, FrogWatch USA to Benefit from NSF Grant Excerpt from National Geographic Society Press Release 29 Oct. like other citizen science The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded programs, a $2.7 million, five-year grant to the National provide large Geographic Society (NGS) to launch a major scale, long term initiative that will engage the public in scientific data. research about the world around them. In this project, NGS will develop and evaluate a Web-based In 2010, four software platform called FieldScope to support FrogWatch citizen science projects involving geographic data. Roger Williams Park Zoo’s FrogWatch USA Chapter USA Chapter was featured on the local Coordinator The development of an Internet-based technology news and is available on YouTube Training infrastructure has remained an obstacle for citizen Sessions were held at: the AZA Mid-Year Meeting science project organizers. Each organization has to (Virginia Beach, Va.); the AZA Annual Conference develop its own database, entry tools, and tools for (Houston, Texas); the AZA Regional displaying and/or analyzing data. The development Communications Meeting (Asheville, NC); and the of this infrastructure can be a serious technical and Florida Reptile and Amphibian Working Group financial challenge. Through this project, the NGS Meeting (Jacksonville, Fla.). AZA thanks the will provide organizations with tools to launch Western North Carolina Nature Center and citizen science projects inexpensively on the Web. Jacksonville Zoo for hosting two of these trainings; The FieldScope platform will support community Jeff Hall (North Carolina Wildlife Resources geography projects where participants collect Commission), Jaime Gonzalez (Katy Prairie observations and analyze them for geographic Conservancy, Texas), and Paul Moler (Florida Fish patterns and will meet the needs of projects whose and Wildlife Conservation Commission) for goals include providing science-learning experiences providing training about local amphibians; Peggy to participants. Using state-of-the-art geographic Sloan (North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher) for information systems (GIS) and social networking helping develop the training; and the Florida technologies, FieldScope will allow participants to Association of Zoos and Aquariums (FAZA) for upload data to a communal database, display, providing support for the Jacksonville training. interpret, and analyze the community’s data and Additional Chapter Coordinator Training Sessions discuss their findings with the other members of the will be offered in 2011; dates and locations are still community. to be determined. Online training will be available, NGS will work with two “testbed partners” currently beginning in early 2011. Learn more at: running community geography projects: Project www.aza.org/professional-development/. BudBurst, run by the National Ecological Learn more about FrogWatch USA and opening a Observatory Network (NEON) and FrogWatch USA, local Chapter at: www.aza.org/frogwatch/. run by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. 4 Citizen Science A Citizen Science Training Model for Investigating Twelve citizen scientists were recruited through a the Presence or Absence of Amphibian Chytrid partnership with the University at Buffalo’s Fungus in Amphibian Populations Environmental Science Interdisciplinary Degree Article and photos by Tiffany Vanderwerf, Buffalo Zoo Program and the Zoo’s docent population. The In November 2009, the Buffalo Zoo received a Roger Tory Peterson Institute helped in the generous AZA’s Conservation Endowment Fund development of the training curriculum and online (CEF) grant for a project titled, “A Citizen Science manual. Consultations with the New York State Training Model for Investigating the Presence or Department of Environmental Conservation resulted Absence of Amphibian Chytrid Fungus in in the selection of four study sites Amphibian Populations.” The goals of the project Following training in early 2010, citizen scientists were to: 1) successfully collected a total of 77 samples from a develop and variety of native amphibian species for analysis. pilot test a Three of the study sites contained Bd positive frog workshop and salamander species. Bd was found in American series and on- toads (Anaxyrus americanus), leopard frogs line manual (Lithobates pipiens), spring peepers (Pseudacris aimed at crucifer), western chorus frogs (Pseudacris teaching citizen triseriata), eastern newts (Notophthalmus scientists how viridescens), and red-backed salamanders to identify (Plethodon cinereus). Overall, the project amphibians demonstrated that it is feasible to train citizen native to New scientists adequately using this training model to York State and identify, capture, and swab amphibians for Bd test amphibians testing. The hope is that this model will enable for the presence or absence of the amphibian scientists to expand human resources to test large chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis areas efficiently and quickly for the presence or (Bd); 2) begin to determine the presence or absence of Bd. absence of Bd in several Western New York watersheds; and 3) use the results of the project to leverage additional funding for investigating the presence or absence of Bd across New York State. 5 SSP Conservation Habitat Construction in Puerto Rico The project has already seen some success. Tropical Article and photos by Diane Barber, Fort Worth Zoo depressions that moved across Puerto Rico in July In May 2010, the Fort Worth Zoo’s exhibit filled the pond. DNER biologists have reported that construction team built a 6,000-gallon concrete the pond was utilized by Puerto Rican crested toads breeding pond for the critically endangered Puerto in the area, and that breeding attempts were Rican crested toad (Peltophryne lemur) in a remote successful. section of the Mangillo Grande protected area on The SSP plans to assist partners in 2011 by helping the southern coast of Puerto Rico. The team, install fencing, educational graphics, and native including Zoo Director Mike Fouraker, worked in plants around the pond. Funds for the project not partnership with Puerto Rico’s Department of covered by the FWS grant have been generously Natural