Mangaluru: An SSBCRT initiative, the First-ever Frog Workshop will be held in Sammilan Shetty’s Butterfly Park in Belvai.
Frogs are nature’s die-hard survivors that have been living on this planet for more than 250 million years. These tiny creatures are very important ecological indicators of their habitat. Due to their highly permeable skin that can easily absorb chemicals or other contaminants they are very susceptible to environmental changes.
They are known to keep the insect population under check, making them economically valuable too. Frogs also are an important part of the food cycle for birds, fish, snakes and an array of wildlife.
Belvai Butterfly Park which is dedicated towards imparting butterfly education to the general public and students, will host a frog workshop for the first time this monsoon. The park (open every Sunday between 8 AM and 10 AM. Registration is required before the visit. Call +91 9845993292 to register) is located in Belvai village of Dakshina Kannada. It is the state’s first private butterfly reserve founded in 2011, spread across 7.35 acres.
The workshop will inspire its participants to watch and learn about the flora and fauna of the region with emphasis on frogs and toads. It will present a great opportunity to learn from the top dedicated personalities in the field, Dr Gururaja KV and Dr Vineeth Kumar, batrachologists(zoologists concerned with the study of amphibians).
So far, the region has recorded 14 species of frog, of which 8 are endemic to the Western Ghats. The workshop will make way for more exciting observations and documentation in the region, and boost the conservation efforts put forth by our team. Habitat loss has always been the biggest threat to frogs and other wildlife forms. It becomes our responsibility to protect native vegetation so that our future generations can thrive.
An SSBCRT initiative, The Frog Workshop is scheduled for three days, starting on July 7 and concluding on July 9. It will engage participants with talks, discussions and field sessions on frogs by the experts.
Those interested to participate in the Frog Workshop can mail us at [email protected]
Report and photograph by: Sammilan Shetty