June 21st Atewa Save The Frogs Day Event
On the 21st of June, Atewa (the only home to the Togo slippery frog) celebrated its first ever Save The Frogs Day. It was on the theme “THE NEED TO PROTECT THE ATIWA FOREST FROM MINING”. The Atewa Range Forest Reserve is also Ghana’s most biodiverse area which holds the key to many unsolved scientific problems yet, it is the most threatened wilderness area.
Events were held at Kwabeng, the Atewa district capital. In attendance were about 150 participants including Atewa school children and teachers. Representatives from the National Commission for Civic Education gave a talk on the importance of the Atewa Forest. SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana team heightened the need to protect the Critically Endangered Togo Slippery Frog (Conraua derooi) and the entire Atewa biodiversity from both local small-scale mining and Government’s interest in mining the forest. The local people learnt more about the value of their own forest, which had been demarcated by their ancestors to provide goods and services for the people of Atiwa and mankind. Kids also entertained participants to some (froggy) azonto dance, the latest dance craze in Ghana.
The authorities and students suggested that SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana launch a chapter to help protect the forest. Please help us create the club for these enthusiastic students to help save the frogs at Atiwa.
July 12th Atewa Save The Frogs Day Event
On the 12th of July, Save The Frogs Day was celebrated at the Kibi Senior High School in Atewa (the only home to the Togo Slippery Frog-Conraua derooi). Kibi is the seat of Government for Okyehene (the royal ruler of Abuakwa State which includes Atewa). The King has long pledged his support for conservation programs in his kingdom, thus holding the celebration was a highly welcomed idea. The celebration was on the theme “Saving The Atewa Forest and the Togo Slippery Frog”.
In attendance were over 500 participants, majority being students and their teachers. Representatives from SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana and the UCAES Chapter gave presentations on the need to protect the Critically Endangered Togo Slippery Frog (Conraua derooi) and the entire Atewa biodiversity from both local small-scale mining and Government’s interest in mining the forest.
SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana is also proud to inform our generous donors that the chapter they helped to establish at UCEAS will soon be establishing junior chapters to facilitate their awareness campaigns among the students and community members on the need to protect the Atewa forest, the Critically Endangered Togo Slippery Frog, and to create the Atewa Hills National Park. Atewa range reserve is one of Ghana’s most biodiverse area which holds the key to many unsolved scientific problems yet, it happens to be the most threatened.
Event Announcement for June 21st Event
On Friday June 21, this year’s 5th Annual Save The Frogs Day will be celebrated in the Atewa District Capital, Kwabeng, under the theme “The Need To Protect The Atewa Forest From Mining”.
The program will be held at the Presby J.H.S Park, starting at 2:00 pm. School children will go on a march along the the principal streets of Kwabeng, holding placards with inscriptions such as “CREATE THE ATEWA HILLS NATIONAL PARK”, “DON’T MINE THE ATEWA FOREST”, “STOP ILLEGAL LOGGING IN THE ATEWA FOREST”, “HELP SAVE THE TOGO SLIPPERY FROG”, “SAVE ATEWA FOREST AND SAVE LIVES” among others.
The local people and school children will also DRUM AND DANCE FOR THE TOGO SLIPPERY FROG, as a way to communicate the Slippery Frog’s conservation importance to the general public. SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana team and other invited resource persons will also give talks featuring on the theme. The celebration is expected to draw up to 500 people and would be the largest of this year’s Save the Frogs Day programs in Ghana.
In attendance will be the Atewa Director of National Commission and Civic and Education, District Director of Education, and headmasters and proprietors of local schools.
The celebration is in line with SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana’s efforts to get government to rescind its decision to mine the Atewa Forest for bauxite, and to permanently protect the Atewa Forest as the Atewa Hills National Park. Similarly, the celebration will also educate the local people surrounding the Atewa Forest who are currently exploiting the forest illegally for gold, timber and as well hunting the critically endangered Togo Slippery Frog for food. The Atewa Forest is currently unprotected, and the critically endangered Togo Slippery Frogs (as well as over 700+ butterfly species that live there) are under serious threat from illegal logging, mountaintop removal mining and people hunting the frogs for food.
Event Announcement for July 12th Event
On Friday 12th July, students and supporters of SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana UCAES Chapter will celebrate this year’s 5th Annual Save The Frogs Day in Kibi. Interestingly, Kibi is the nearest town to where the Critically Endangered Togo Slippery Frog lives at Atewa, and it is also the residency of the King of Akyem Abuakwa (Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin II), who is the custodian of Atewa Forest.
The program will be celebrated under the theme “SAVING THE ATEWA FOREST AND THE TOGO SLIPPERY FROG.” Events will be held at the Kibi Senior High School, starting at 12 noon. The students will be educated on the importance of protecting natural resources linking it with why Atewa should be made a national park and not a mine site.
The students will DRUM AND DANCE FOR THE TOGO SLIPPERY FROG, as a way to communicate the Slippery Frog’s conservation importance to the general public. SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana’s team and other invited resource persons will also give talks featuring on the theme.
The celebration is in line with SAVE THE FROGS! Ghana’s efforts to get the government to rescind its decision to mine the Atewa Hills for bauxite, and to permanently protect the Atewa Forest and create the Atewa Hills National Park. The Atewa Forest is currently unprotected, and the critically endangered Togo Slippery Frogs (as well as over 700+ butterfly species that live there) are under serious threat from illegal logging, mountaintop removal mining and people hunting the frogs for food.