Summit on the Conservation Strategy of Hatian Frogs
Amphibians throughout the world are facing unprecedented rates of population declines and extinction and that nowhere is this crisis more prevalent than in Haiti, where 54 of the 58 amphibian species recorded for the country may become extinct if nothing is done to prevent it. In Haiti, deforestation and habitat degradation are the main drivers of amphibian extinction, which means that the country is not only losing its amphibians, but is also at risk of losing its entire natural heritage.
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From top left:The ten frog species that are part of our Haitian frog conservation project. Mozart’s frog (Eleutherodactylus amadeus), La Hotte big-legged frog (E. apostates), Tiburón borrowing frog (E. aporostegus), La Hotte frog (E. bakeri), Haitian marsh frog (E. caribe currently not in our collection), Macaya dusky frog (E. ventrilienatus), Macaya breast-spot frog (E. thorectes). La Hotte glanded frog (E. glandulifer), La Selle red legged frog (E. furcyensis) and the short nosed green frog (E. brevirostris). Center: a map of Hispaniola Island showing the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Our frogs are all endemic to Haiti, meaning that they are only found in that country. The majority comes from the Western tip of the island in the Tiburon Peninsula in or near Pic Macaya National Park. Only the La Selle red legged frog, comes from La Visite National Park in eastern Haiti, at the center of the Island. |
On September 26, 2012, the Philadelphia Zoo held a day-long meeting between key players from the Zoo, the Pennsylvania State University, the Government of Haiti, and the local organizations Société Audubon Haiti and Quisqueya University to devise a long term collaborative plan to conserve Haiti’s vanishing amphibian diversity. This Haitian delegation was invited to observe our captive colony of Haitian frogs and to formalize a long-term collaboration and promote cooperative programs between us.
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Vik Dewan, our Zoo’s President and CEO address our guests from Haiti at the welcoming dinner. From left to right: Dr. Joansen Lacour (Quisqueya University), Hon. Lyonel Valbrun (General Director of the Ministry of Agriculture – Haiti), Philippe Bayard (President of Societé Audubon Haiti), Dr. S Blair Hedges (Penn State University) Kenneth Woodson (VP Community and Government Affairs for the Philadelphia Zoo), and Jurgen Hoppe videographer and naturalist. |
The main purpose of the meeting was to create a strategic plan for the Conservation of Critically Endangered frogs of Haiti to fulfill the following goals:
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Report on the progress of the conservation work and research carried out by Professor Blair Hedges in Haiti and by the Zoo at our Haitian frog breeding facility on zoo grounds.
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Maintenance and expansion of the current assurance populations of endangered Haitian amphibians kept at the Philadelphia Zoo.
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Formally begin the in situ conservation and education project: Building Local Management Capacity and Conservation Plans to Save Endangered Frogs in Four High Priority Key Biodiversity Areas in Hispaniola, which is funded by the Philadelphia Zoo and the Critical Ecosystems partnership Fund.
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Begin conversations towards the establishment of a long-term conservation strategy in Haiti involving:
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An in situ research program to study amphibian ecology in Haiti.
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Local capacity building and amphibian conservation programs.
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Long-term (10 - 15 year) forest and habitat recovery and reintroduction plan.
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Dr. S. Blair Hedges, from Penn State University talks about the perils of the amphibian in Haiti and stresses the need for action due to the dire situation of the biodiversity in that country. |
This is our first formal meeting between these parties and it is part for an ambitious, multi-year plan that incorporates long term collaboration that will enable us to fulfill large-scale goals, such as:
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Conservation of the last remaining forests in Haiti;
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Establishment of a sensible capacity building strategy for future conservationists, and
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Rescue and successful reintroduction of critically endangered species.
It was determined that the project will begin with Dr. Carlos C. Martínez in-country work in Haiti on Monday October 1st. This series of first steps will provide the base line for the future involvement of the Philadelphia Zoo in the conservation of Haiti’s fragile biodiversity.
The steps of this first phase include:
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Create a first draft the Strategic Plan for the Conservation of Critically Endangered frogs of Haiti.
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Begin the first phase towards building capacity at the management level by holding a conservation workshop for key stakeholders in government and private institutions at Quisqueya University.
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Begin planning and hiring phase for the filed conservation component of the project in Haiti.
An article highlighting the event appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
You can view the article here.
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Participants listen intently at the discussions in the meeting. From left to right: Jean Serge Antoine (Adjunct Director of the Divisions of Parks and Soils – Haiti), Jason Bell (Assistant Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians - Philadelphia Zoo), Judex Edouzarin (Regional Coordinator for CEPF – Haiti), Arnaud Dupuy (Executive Director of Societé Audubon Haiti), Philippe Bayard (President Société Audubon Haiti), Hon Lyonel Valbrun (General Director of the Ministry of Agriculture – Haiti), Dr. Andy Baker (Chief Operating Officer Philadelphia Zoo). |