Year of the Frog!

Who doesn't love a frog? From Kermit to the to aural symphony provided each spring by peepers and chorus frogs, frogs play an important role in the environment.

In honor of frogs and our other amphibian friends, the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the accrediting body for more than 210 zoos and aquariums around the U.S., has declared 2008 the Year of the Frog. Globally, amphibians are in decline due to habitat loss, pollution and the deadly effects of the chytrid fungus, a fungus that kills the majority of animals it infects. Local frog populations are now beginning to see the effects of chytrid. Woodland Park Zoo, in association with the Alliance of Zoos & Aquariums, a Northwest regional consortium of zoos and aquariums, and the Washington Fish & Wildlife Department, are banding together to help in a recovery project for the Oregon spotted frog, a native species which has declined significantly in 78 percent of its historic range from southern B.C. to northern California.

Learn more about the global amphibian crisis and our part in the Oregon spotted frog recovery project by visiting our Year of the Frog website. (Pacific chorus frog photo by Katie Remine)