In my never-ending quest to discover new things about my "frog friends," I ran across the savethefrogs.com website, an information-packed place exploring the nature and nurture of our amphibian pals.
Geared primarily to schools, the vast amount of information on the preservation of frog habitats and the exploration of the intrinsic nature of these charming critters is fascinating. Who knew that some frogs are immune to the AIDS virus? Did you know that tadpoles in our reservoirs actually filter our drinking water by eating the algae buildup? I didn't know that the oldest known frog fossils date back to the Permian period, 265 million years ago! That, my friends, predates even the dinosaurs (by about 40 million years).
This information is not only interesting from an evolutionary standpoint, but has important implications for human life. Adult frogs gobble up massive amounts of insects and disease vectors (think mosquitos and Malaria or West Nile Virus), and are also a food source for fish, snakes and birds. Their ability to breathe through their skin is also handy to human beings, since many of their skin secretions have the potential to unlock nature's curative secrets.
Unfortunately, their permeable skin makes them especially susceptible to toxins, allowing chemicals to easily cross into their bodies, and cause mutations in their young. Especially worrisome are chemicals such as atrazine (an herbicide used to prevent broadleaf weeds in lawns). Banned in Europe in 2004, this agent has been shown to be an endocrine disruptor, which means it alters the natural hormonal system of living things exposed to it. Weakened frogs and toads can fall prey to parasites permeating their porous skin. One type--Ribeiroia ondatrae--burrows into tadpoles' hind limbs, which compromises their physical development. Have you seen any deformed frogs in your yard? Sadly, toads and frogs are the amphibian version of Nostradamus--their mutilated forms offering genuine predictive power about the direction our environment is heading. At the risk of sounding angry (a state my husband often accuses me of reaching), please consider the health of wildlife--and ultimately, humans--the next time you spread toxic pollutants on your lawn to make it look green.
A better idea: reduce the amount of lawn you have in favor of native flower gardens. Not only are flowerbeds easier to maintain, but they offer much more visual interest than a bland expanse of green. Native stunners like Solidago (Goldenrod) pair perfectly with naturalizers like Queen Anne's Lace (a member of the carrot family, originally brought over from England, but here so long that people think of it as a native). For a pop of color, plant New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis), with lush deep green foliage and rich purple blooms. For a sweet scent, try Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) with white bottlebrush blossoms that smell like honeysuckle.
To me, the best garden spaces blend the fanciful with the fundamental. Clay pots turned upside down and placed on rocks in a native garden provide whimsical abodes for toads--a pretty practical way to serve and protect the charming critters who add so much to our lives.
This information is not only interesting from an evolutionary standpoint, but has important implications for human life. Adult frogs gobble up massive amounts of insects and disease vectors (think mosquitos and Malaria or West Nile Virus), and are also a food source for fish, snakes and birds. Their ability to breathe through their skin is also handy to human beings, since many of their skin secretions have the potential to unlock nature's curative secrets.
Unfortunately, their permeable skin makes them especially susceptible to toxins, allowing chemicals to easily cross into their bodies, and cause mutations in their young. Especially worrisome are chemicals such as atrazine (an herbicide used to prevent broadleaf weeds in lawns). Banned in Europe in 2004, this agent has been shown to be an endocrine disruptor, which means it alters the natural hormonal system of living things exposed to it. Weakened frogs and toads can fall prey to parasites permeating their porous skin. One type--Ribeiroia ondatrae--burrows into tadpoles' hind limbs, which compromises their physical development. Have you seen any deformed frogs in your yard? Sadly, toads and frogs are the amphibian version of Nostradamus--their mutilated forms offering genuine predictive power about the direction our environment is heading. At the risk of sounding angry (a state my husband often accuses me of reaching), please consider the health of wildlife--and ultimately, humans--the next time you spread toxic pollutants on your lawn to make it look green.
A better idea: reduce the amount of lawn you have in favor of native flower gardens. Not only are flowerbeds easier to maintain, but they offer much more visual interest than a bland expanse of green. Native stunners like Solidago (Goldenrod) pair perfectly with naturalizers like Queen Anne's Lace (a member of the carrot family, originally brought over from England, but here so long that people think of it as a native). For a pop of color, plant New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis), with lush deep green foliage and rich purple blooms. For a sweet scent, try Virginia Sweetspire (Itea virginica) with white bottlebrush blossoms that smell like honeysuckle.
To me, the best garden spaces blend the fanciful with the fundamental. Clay pots turned upside down and placed on rocks in a native garden provide whimsical abodes for toads--a pretty practical way to serve and protect the charming critters who add so much to our lives.
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