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OREGON SPOTTED FROG RECOVERY PROGRAM
History
The Oregon Spotted Frog program first came to life in 1999 with the idea to collect recently-laid frog eggs in the spring and nurture the eggs in protected facilities until they had developed into baby frogs. The frogs would then be released back into the wild in late summer giving them an ecological head start in life. The recovery program started in 2003 when Mountain View received over 800 frog embryos from an Aldergrove pond for captive development. By the late summer release, Mountain View had reared over 500 frogs, surpassing the survivor rates of all other recovery program participants. A majority of these frogs were released back to their natural homes and a few stayed behind at Mountain View for educational purposes and breeding research.
2007
Mountain View expanded to 20 breeding tubs this year. We received over 2100 egg embryos. The recovery Planning Team met in the spring to review the success of the frog re-introduction program. The team has a goal to establish 20 sites for the frogs in Canada. Currently there are only 3 sites. This year several recommendations were made for new locations and the team is assessing these locations and hopes to introduce some breeding stock into a few new habitats.
The Department of National Defense location at Aldergrove BC has an established habitat area for Oregon Spotted Frogs, but the group notes that there have been no frogs breeding in this location for over a year. There is a major bull frog infestation and DND have implemented a bull frog eradication program. If they are successful, Oregon Spotted Frogs could possibly be released at Aldergrove in 2008.
Mountain View continues to work with the Seabird Island First Nations Band. The band's first conservation technician, Keena McNeil, has been funded by the recovery team and trained at Mountain View. She comes to Mountain View a few days a week from spring to fall to help with the frogs and to learn about habitat conservation. She spends the rest of her time educating the school children on the reserve about conservation, preservation of the frogs and other habitat conservation issues. The last 2 viable populations are located on the band's land. She is a great resource to her people and to Mountain View and we appreciate having her with us during the breeding and re-introduction season.
Release Process
2006
Mountain View expanded to 10 breeding tubs this year. The Seabird Island First Nations Band initiated and participated in several community projects concerning area wetlands and the Spotted Frog. Local school children are involved in the projects and training for a conservation technician was offered in an effort to maintain the frog population.
2004
Mountain View expanded their level of commitment to the program and received over 1,200 frog embryos from the Aldergrove pond and over 1,300 from the pond site on Seabird Island. The two batches of eggs were kept separate to minimize disease transfer and record specific survival rates. As a result of the captive frog breeding efforts, over 750 frogs went back to Seabird Island. The initial program has been so successful that Mountain View as continued to expand its breeding capacity every year.
