Todd Wong with Red-eyed Tree Frog- photo David WongI
visited with Red-eyed Tree frogs from the Amazon, Manchurian Fire
Bellies from China, and Pacific Tree Frogs from Vancouver, at the home of my friend David Wong
My friend David Wong, encouraged City of
Vancouver to proclaim “Save the
Frogs Day” on April 28. I visited
his Red-eyed Tree frogs from the Amazon,
Manchurian Fire Bellies from China, and
Pacific Tree Frogs from Vancouver!
Here are my pictures from my visit with David and his frogs:
My friend David Wong, encouraged
City of Vancouver to proclaim “Save the Frogs Day” on April 28.
David has been a very creative architect working on projects in China, Singapore and Vancouver. He is now going to focus more exclusively on environmentally friendly designs, to help us create better living habitats for both humans and our biological friends. I visited with him today, and he told me about a big project in Fuzhou China that saved an important historical tree, and another project in Metro Vancouver that utilized a large water pool.
David's own eco-friendly home was featured in the Georgia Straight newspaper last year on May 15th, 2008:
Finding the colour of harmony in renovation | Straight.com
http://www.straight.com/article-145523/the-colour-harmony
But check out his frogs!
and what David does to protect and promote frog habitats.
http://www.urbantreefrog.com/?p=251
office of the Mayor of Vancouver has officially proclaimed April 28,
2009 as Save The Frogs Day in Vancouver, British Columbia.
From the Office of the Mayor of Vancouver, BC, Canada
Save The Frogs Day, April 28, 2009
WHEREAS, amphibians are in considerable peril here in Vancouver and around the world; and
WHEREAS, nearly one-third of the world’s
6,468 amphibian species are threatened with extinction, and at least
150 species completely disappeared since 1979, making amphibians the
most threatened group of animals on Earth; and
WHEREAS, amphibians are critical
components to our ecosystems, especially of the land and waters in and
around metro Vancouver, and because amphibians provide ecosystem
services to nature and to humans including,
(1) cleaning waterways by eating algae and detritus during their tadpole stage;
(2) serving as a vital source of food to other animals,
(3) consuming large quantities of ticks, mosquitoes and other pest
species that serve as disease vectors that can transmit fatal
illnesses to humans; and
WHEREAS, approximately 10% of Nobel
prizes in physiology and medicine have resulted from investigations
that used amphibians – implying when an amphibian species disappears,
so does any promise for important new human pharmaceutical discoveries;
and
WHEREAS, amphibians face a multitude of
threats including pollution, pesticides, habitat destruction, climate
change, invasive species, infectious diseases (the spread of which are
facilitated by human activities), and over-harvesting for the pet and
food trades; and
WHEREAS, we believe in the right of all children to see, hear and catch amphibians in their native habitat; and
WHEREAS, amphibian conservation efforts will not be successful without an educated and informed public; and
WHEREAS, the Pacific Treefrog (Hyla
regilla), an original inhabitant of these lands now known as the City
of Vancouver, could be encouraged to co-habit backyard gardens, urban
forests and city parks; and
NOW, THEREFORE, we, the concerned
citizens of Vancouver respectfully join others on April 28th, 2009 and
declare Save The Frogs Day in the great City of Vancouver, and call
these observances to the attention of all fellow citizens.