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Awesome Amphibians, Righteous Reptiles
Snakes and turtles and frogs, oh my! Snakes and turtles and frogs, oh my! Reviled by some, revered by others, these cold-blooded critters may not rate high on the warm-and-fuzzy scale, but they do have their share of avid admirers. On April 29, more than 120 individuals interested in amphibian-and-reptile conservation gathered at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences for the inaugural meeting of the North Carolina chapter of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (NCPARC). NCPARC is a statewide initiative to promote the conservation of amphibians and reptiles (collectively called herpetofauna or herps) and their habitats through proactive and coordinated public and private partnerships. Among the attendees who participated in the all-day workshop were representatives from state and federal agencies, corporate industries, academic institutions, environmental education groups, land trusts, conservation organizations, and the private sector. During the morning session, attendees listened to a series of speakers, each one renowned for his accomplishments in the field of herpetology. Whit Gibbons from the Savannah River Ecology Lab and a founder of the national PARC initiative gave historical perspective to PARC and explained its mission and strategies for conservation success. Luke Fedewa, the national PARC states’ coordinator, detailed the successes of other state and regional PARC chapters and provided examples of initiatives undertaken by PARC to improve conservation of herps and their habitats through education, outreach, research, management, policy and regulation. These talks were followed by short presentations from three North Carolinians: Mike Dorcas from Davidson College; Jeff Hall from Weyerhaeuser’s Cool Springs Environmental Education Center; and Alvin Braswell of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. Designed to spark ideas for potential NCPARC initiatives, their presentations provided examples of current herp conservation-related activities and demonstrated how the various agencies and organizations involved in NCPARC could benefit from and contribute to herpetological conservation. In the afternoon, attendees divided into small working groups to discuss North Carolina’s herpetological issues as they relate to 1) education and outreach, 2) policy, regulation and trade, and 3) research, inventory, monitoring and management. The groups developed lists of potential NCPARC initiatives, which will be prioritized and used to steer the directions NCPARC takes in the future. Because North Carolina boasts one of the nation’s richest diversities of herpetofauna, establishing a statewide PARC chapter was a necessity long overdue, said Sarah Cross, statewide herpetologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and coordinator of NCPARC. “Over 140 species of salamanders, frogs, toads, snakes, turtles and lizards as well as the American alligator call North Carolina home,” Cross said. “While some people may not find them appealing, everyone should respect the ecological importance of herps. In addition to controlling populations of insects and rodents, amphibians and reptiles serve a vital role in the food web and are important environmental indicators of overall habitat health.”
Conserving our native herps and their habitats requires a coordinated and cooperative effort by individuals whose interests and expertise lie in research, monitoring, management, education and outreach, as well as in regulation of the trade in wild herps. NCPARC’s goal is to provide an ongoing forum for these individuals to identify and conserve vulnerable species and their habitats and to develop a broader public appreciation for the welfare of all herp species. For more information on NCPARC, contact Cross at 919-553-3094 or sarah.cross@ncwildlife.org. |
