Save All Frogs! One Man's Mission!

To most people, frogs are not cute or cuddly. However, to Matt Ellerbeck, they are both beautiful and fascinating animals! Matt loves frogs so much, that he decided to devote his time to them as a conservationist. He even lives with frogs. In 2018, he launched his conservation initiative Save All Frogs.

This should come as little surprise though to anyone who knows Matt or is familiar with his work. For over 10 years, he has been involved with reptile and amphibian conservation efforts, with a special focus on outreach education to raise awareness for these misunderstood animals. Over the years, he has given hundreds upon hundreds of workshops and presentations on these topics and has presented at some of Ontario's most prestigious educational institutes. This includes Queen's University, Trent University, and King's Town Private School. His efforts have earned him a Green Globe Award nomination and an Award from the Cataraqui Conservation Foundation.

He has previously run projects focused on helping turtles, snakes, and salamanders.

These days, however, Matt is focused on solely frogs. When I sat down to interview him, he instantly and enthusiastically tells me about his his Save All Frogs project.

''A good friend of mine, who helped with my Save the Salamanders effort, has taken over that endeavor. This then freed me up to pursue frogs. Although I have been involved with many projects concerning reptiles and amphibians, my initial intention was to focus on frogs! However, at the time several other opportunities came up and I got involved with causes focused on snakes and salamanders. Additionally, I was on the cusp of starting a program this year with lizards. However, I thought it's time to focus just on this one initiative. I want to give Save All Frogs my full attention and passion, and this is something that is going to have longevity.''

Throughout 2018, Matt's articles/work on frog conservation were featured by the Toronto Zoo's Adopt-A-Pond Program, the Quinte Conservation Authority, the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network, the Amphibian Survival Alliance (ASA), AllCreatures.org, the Friends of Kingston Inner Harbor, and more! He recently received a Frog Watch award certificate from the Toronto Zoo.

He explains that he already has plans underway to give numerous presentations on frog conservation throughout 2019. During these, he will inform the public about the threats these amphibians are facing, and about ways in which these can be combated via habitat management, stewardship, and informed decision making.

He states, ''It's really about teaching people how they can become active and involved, getting them to take on efforts that will benefit frogs and the environment as a whole. I have lots of events planned in rural areas and at campground. This is important as I will be teaching people who regularly see frogs and spend time where frogs live, how they can help! These people are in a great position to impact frogs positively, so it's paramount that I bring my message and resources to such regions!''

As he conversed to me, it is clear that he has a deep passion for the cause. The sort of love that many people feel for their cherished family dog is clearly the sort of love that Matt has for frogs.

With that, I wrap things up and bid Matt farewell. His enthusiasm was indeed infectious and sort of burnt into my mind. This should serve him well on his quest to contribute to the conservation of his amphibian friends. Visit Matt's site to learn more about frogs, including information on why frogs are in decline and how you as an individual can help!

Saveallfrogs.com