Mangaluru: 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 making them susceptible to environmental changes.
They are known to keep the insect population under check, making them economically valuable too. Frogs also serve as an important food source for birds, fish, snakes and an array of wildlife.
Belvai Butterfly Park which is dedicated towards imparting butterfly education to general public and students, will be hosting frog workshop for the first time this monsoon. The park which is located in Belvai Village of Dakshina Kannada is the state’s first private butterfly reserve founded in 2011, which is spread across 7.35 acres. The workshop will focus on inspiring its participants to watch and learn about the flora and fauna of the region with emphasis on frogs and toads. It will be a great learning opportunity from some of the dedicated personalities in the field, batrachologist Dr. Gururaja K. V. and Dr. Vineeth Kumar.
The region has so far recorded 14 species of frog of which 8 species are endemic to Western Ghats. The workshop will give way for more interesting observations and documentations in the region, which will boost the conservation efforts put forth by our team. Habitat loss has been the biggest threat to frogs and other wildlife forms. It becomes our responsibility to protect the native vegetation, so that our future generation can thrive.
The workshop is scheduled for three days, starting from July 7th and concluding on 9th, engaging it’s participants with talks, discussions and field sessions on frogs by the experts.