Join the conservation movement with your students this May with Amphibian Week. Amphibian Week celebrates the importance of amphibians and the partnerships formed to implement amphibian conservation actions to address the ongoing global amphibian crisis. Georgia is ranked 4th in the nation for overall amphibian diversity. This week show your students how amazing frogs, toads, and salamanders in Georgia are with these WILD activities and resources. 

There’s new hope for frosted flatwoods salamanders following word from the Amphibian Foundation that it has bred the endangered species in captivity for the first time.

For nearly a decade, the Atlanta conservation nonprofit has worked on a captive breeding process to protect frosted flatwoods salamanders. These amphibians, beautifully mottled in gray, silver and black, have declined by 90 percent since 2000 and are now known from only three populations, one in Georgia and two in Florida.

The loss of the longleaf pine savannas the salamanders evolved with, as well as diminishing seasonal rains needed to fill the temporary pools their eggs hatch in, have pushed them to the brink of extinction.

Leading an effort to protect them in captivity, Amphibian Foundation established breeding groups in 2017 and – overcoming obstacles to propagating the secretive animals – celebrated its first eggs in December.

The goal is to produce offspring that can be released into managed habitats and thrive in the wild. The breeding protocol can also be replicated by others, speeding up recovery, said foundation co-founder and Executive Director Mark Mandica.

“This conservation accomplishment is a thrilling moment of scientific achievement for our team, partners and these special salamanders,” Mandica said.

Project details, including what partners had to say. Plus: more photos.

To help raise awareness and conservation in the classroom, here are some resources and WILD activities to go with Amphibian Week 2022. 

Did you know that Georgia is home to over 30 species of frogs and each has their own unique call? You can learn Georgia's calls by ordering our Frogs of Georgia CD and playing this fun frog and toad mating game with students. You can also use this design to create a frog home for your backyard.

Amphibians are ectothermic creatures, animals that match body temperature to their surroundings, and this means they have to find the warm and cool spots within Georgia's ecosystems in order to survive. With Project WILD's Keeping Cool activity, educators can help students investigate some of habitats amphibians prefer.

Field Investigation activity Edge of Home is a great way to incorporate field monitoring to any science curriculum. Amphibians are great indicators of ecosystem health and water quality because of their ability to breath through their skin. Through Adopt-A-Stream, you can do amphibian monitoring and use this manual to help aid students in the process. 

Other WILD activities to incorporate into Amphibian Week: Surprise Terrarium and Career Critters