Join Save the Frogs!

"Save the Frogs" is a great way to become educated about the amphibian decline, learn how to help, and learn how to spread the word. "Save the Frogs" has an interactive website where you can choose between multiple different topics to either learn about the decline, find where to donate, see what events are happening and more. Events Save the Frog sponsor include speeches by the founder at different universities, screenings of documentaries, and hands-on activities to help the cause at lakes and marinas around the country and world. Save the Frogs also holds contests on their site where people can submit poetry and art. The best poems they receive will be used in a book of frog poetry that will be sold to raise money for amphibian conservation efforts. This book will also include the winning artwork from the art contest on the site. I decided to write a poem for this blog inspired by the Save the Frogs contest:

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Wasn't Me

by: Jessica Fullam

Frogs, salamanders, and toads

All have seen better days

Will my children know

Of these wonderful creatures?

Declining quickly day by day

Who is to blame for all of this?

Humans are bad; causing harm

But it wasn't me I insist

You seem nice, it couldn't be you

We would never hurt a frog

So who is it then, who?

If we don't change our actions

Then it is me. It is you. 

I wrote this poem to emphasize that many of us care about the issues in the environment, but none of us want to take responsibility for consequences that occur due to our careless actions. We are aware that  "humans" are causing the damage to the environment, but as individuals it is difficult to own up to our mistakes and begin to change our actions. I used an apocalyptic approach at the beginning of my poem to emphasis the quick rates that amphibian species are becoming extinct and endangered. By the end of the first decade of the 21st century, 200 frog species had become extinct and another 2,000 frog species were on the verge of extinction.The continued existence of the frogs is not guaranteed. The fate of the  remaining frogs depend on the actions of humans who care, spread the word, and are motivated to help.

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There are different options for joining Save the Frogs listed on their website. You can either get different levels of membership depending on how much you would like to donate, and the higher member you get means more benefits. Some of these benefits include the monthly newsletter, postcards, bumper stickers, T-shirts, and more. If you're low on cash or don't feel comfortable committing to a membership, you can always sign up to be a volunteer. Volunteers can sign up on the website and check out different ways to help, either in everyday life or on a set mission. Doing either of these things, or even just going to the website and reading through ways you can help everyday can make a huge difference in the environment and help save frogs. Like I said in my poem, "If we don't change our actions, then it is me. It is you."