SAVE THE FROGS! Founder Dr. Kerry Kriger conceived and directs the world’s most effective public charity dedicated exclusively to amphibians. Read on to learn about his multitude of accomplishments for the betterment of amphibians and the planet.
Dr. Kriger on the slopes of Rucu Pichincha, where he led a hike during the inaugural SAVE THE FROGS! Ecuador Ecotour.
Under Dr. Kriger’s leadership, SAVE THE FROGS! has:
- Coordinated and conducted over 2,100 educational events in 57 countries to raise awareness for endangered amphibians.
- Stopped the City of San Francisco from destroying the Little Yosemite Canyon stretch of Alameda Creek, which is prime breeding habitat for Foothill Yellow-Legged Frogs.
- Assisted with or independently led the construction or restoration of 29 wetlands, involving over a thousand volunteers.
- Educated over three million people via the SAVE THE FROGS! website (www.savethefrogs.com), which was built by Dr. Kriger and holds over 1,000 freely accessible articles.
- Led a campaign that stopped developers from constructing a large restaurant and apartment complex on top of one of Canada’s last three populations of Fowler’s Toads.
- Successfully campaigned for a statewide ban on the sale and importation of live American Bullfrogs in California; and legislation in Santa Cruz City and County that prevents their importation and transportation.
- Founded Africa’s most effective amphibian conservation group (SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana), which has planted over 15,000 trees to reforest habitat for critically endangered Giant Squeaker Frogs; trained numerous undergraduates in amphibian biology and field techniques; trained villagers in beekeeping so they do not have to chop trees to collect wild honey; and campaigned for the creation of a new national park to protect the Togo Slippery Frog, which is known to survive on only two streams.
- Co-authored a petition that led to the federal prohibition on importation and interstate transportation of 201 salamander species, thereby reducing the likelihood of infectious disease spread.
- Independently raised over $1,500,000 for amphibian conservation projects, over 99% of which has come from private sources.
- Disbursed over $164,000 in grants to 94 amphibian conservationists in 27 countries.
- Spearheaded an effort that resulted in California Governor Jerry Brown signing his approval of a bill that made the California Red-Legged Frog the state’s official amphibian.
- Helped protect 3,100 acres of land from damage by off-highway vehicles at Tesla Park in Alameda, California.
- Trained thousands of students and professionals through SAVE THE FROGS! Academy online courses and via the multitude of educational videos freely available on the SAVE THE FROGS! YouTube Channel.
- Inspired tens of thousands of people to sign petitions and submit letters of comment to government agencies on a variety of campaigns, including the banning of harmful pesticides; preventing mining of amphibian habitats; and listing of threatened amphibian species under state and federal endangered species acts. One such campaign (in which SAVE THE FROGS! supporters contributed over 95% of the comments received by the federal government) has led to the National Park Service removing non-native fish from over 60 waterbodies in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
- Partnered and conducted projects with a multitude of organizations in the USA and abroad (e.g. National Wildlife Federation, Center for Biological Diversity, National Park Service, US Forest Service, National Resources Defense Council, Wild Equity Institute, Friends of Tesla Park, American Rivers Conservancy, Animalearn and many more).
- Led five ecotours to developing countries, introducing over 60 Americans to tropical ecosystems and contributing over $50,000 to local economies, which enables communities to better protect their natural areas and wildlife.
- Developed numerous innovative and original methods for reaching and empowering teachers and students worldwide, including Save The Frogs Day, the SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest, and the SAVE THE FROGS! Poetry Contest, each of which has reached over 60 countries and educated many thousands of students.
- Dr. Kriger has been an integral part of all these successes, and has personally given over 450 presentations to 21,000 live participants in 19 countries, regularly visiting schools, universities, government agencies and community groups, to inspire action for amphibians and grow the worldwide amphibian conservation community. Dr. Kriger has done more than any single individual to grow the worldwide amphibian conservation community.
- Dr. Kriger has also contributed significantly to scientific knowledge via his numerous peer-reviewed publications on the ecology of chytridiomycosis (one of which is the Journal of Zoology’s most cited paper of 2007) and his presentations at scientific conferences worldwide.
- All of these successes came from Dr. Kriger’s in-depth understanding of amphibian ecology, nonprofit management, technology, educational methods, fundraising, and environmental law, combined with a grand vision and an unstoppable drive to create a better planet for humans and for wildlife. Dr. Kriger has forged new ground in amphibian conservation and his efforts have inspired, educated and empowered thousands of people and organizations in the USA and worldwide, resulting in a massive positive impact that will benefit amphibians for decades to come.
Photo of Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus/Bufo fowleri) from Virginia by Dr Kerry Kriger.
Dr. Kriger at the summit of Wheeler Peak, Highest Point in Nevada. In the lowlands below live Great Basin Spadefoots (Spea intermontana).
“Hi Kerry, I just wanted to thank you for all your efforts and hard work you give to amphibian conservation. I have learned a lot from you. You really are one of the few people on earth that make it a better place. Thank you so much.” – Tony Badurina