Once called the "antichrist of trout," Roland Knapp has traversed the High Sierra for 30 years to save its native frog. Now, birds, snakes and bears are feasting on frogs.
This is fantastic. I have a friend named Mark Wanner who has been working for years to save the Hellbender. So I know the kind of driven that gets things done and a little about the sheer number of people who have to get involved. It’s fantastic to hear about this stunning frog success in Sierra-Nevada.
I admire the work people do to suss out wrong environmental turns and do something about them. And your work as well in informing us about it. And your own "hands on" work is also amazing.
My fiirst husband is Jim Murphy, former Associate pf the Museum of Natural History, National Zoo and Dallas Zoo Herpetological Curator. We courted listening to the frogs courting in cattle ponds in Texas and hanging out on Sundays watching rattlesnakes enter and leave their den.
Thank you for helping me continue to track what is being done to help "critters" as he calls them. He taught me to "see" what was happening in nature and to care and to support the work.
I will invite my old Zoo world friends to join you.
Such an interesting story. The frogs have been "saved," and their role in the whole is to be eaten by other animals. I'm not being sarcastic; the world as a whole is filled with irony. Congratulations and thanks to Roland Knapp.
Yes, a more accurate headline might be "Saving a frog-based ecosystem" but that's not as catchy. I haven't seen the frogs myself, but my impression is that there are plenty left over to adorn the lakeshores.🐸
Thanks for writing about Roland. I was lucky enough to interview him for a book I am writing about the human and natural history of the Cascades in Washington. It was great to get his insights and observations for my chapter on stocking fish in alpine lakes.
Thank you for this important story. It reminds me of the reverse in action, the dam removal projects by Indigenous people that are bringing salmon populations back to life. Anything humans can do, we can undo... good and bad.
What a fantastic story, Amanda! Thanks for sharing -- and great writing. We work on the interactions between non-native trout and native galaxiid fishes here in NZ. It's a very contentious issue. People very much don't like the idea of removing trout, even in tiny little headwater streams where they don't grow large at all.
Thanks for these kind words! So frustrating when there's resistance to the right thing to do. I've been thinking about it a lot lately. How "rewilding hearts and minds" is our first and foremost task.
What a heart-warming story! I so need these reasons for hope amid our current difficulties. Thank you.
You're welcome!
This is fantastic. I have a friend named Mark Wanner who has been working for years to save the Hellbender. So I know the kind of driven that gets things done and a little about the sheer number of people who have to get involved. It’s fantastic to hear about this stunning frog success in Sierra-Nevada.
I'd love to talk to him! I keep hearing stories of people saving salamanders by scouting them out on breeding nights and helping them cross roads.
Check your private messages for info
This is terrific! The significance of one frog species!
Who'd a thunk, right? I had no idea ...
I admire the work people do to suss out wrong environmental turns and do something about them. And your work as well in informing us about it. And your own "hands on" work is also amazing.
Thank you Amanda.
Thank you, Susan!
Love those ecologists refusing to take no for an answer 🐸
Endangered Species Act helped a lot here.
My fiirst husband is Jim Murphy, former Associate pf the Museum of Natural History, National Zoo and Dallas Zoo Herpetological Curator. We courted listening to the frogs courting in cattle ponds in Texas and hanging out on Sundays watching rattlesnakes enter and leave their den.
Thank you for helping me continue to track what is being done to help "critters" as he calls them. He taught me to "see" what was happening in nature and to care and to support the work.
I will invite my old Zoo world friends to join you.
Thanks🙂
This is such an inspiring story!
Such an interesting story. The frogs have been "saved," and their role in the whole is to be eaten by other animals. I'm not being sarcastic; the world as a whole is filled with irony. Congratulations and thanks to Roland Knapp.
Yes, a more accurate headline might be "Saving a frog-based ecosystem" but that's not as catchy. I haven't seen the frogs myself, but my impression is that there are plenty left over to adorn the lakeshores.🐸
Thanks for writing about Roland. I was lucky enough to interview him for a book I am writing about the human and natural history of the Cascades in Washington. It was great to get his insights and observations for my chapter on stocking fish in alpine lakes.
It was wonderful to talk to him. I encouraged him to write his own book.
This post is pure heaven, as always. What a beautiful tribute to an awesome person. How exciting! I hope to one day hear the frogs sing.
Thank you! What I hear is that they only make noise underwater. Very different kind of frog🐸😊
Thank you for this important story. It reminds me of the reverse in action, the dam removal projects by Indigenous people that are bringing salmon populations back to life. Anything humans can do, we can undo... good and bad.
Yes! We can always fix past mistakes, I believe. Thank you for reading and recommending me, Thomas!
Holy persistence pays off. That’s a beaut.
Thanks for a very informative article!
What a fantastic story, Amanda! Thanks for sharing -- and great writing. We work on the interactions between non-native trout and native galaxiid fishes here in NZ. It's a very contentious issue. People very much don't like the idea of removing trout, even in tiny little headwater streams where they don't grow large at all.
Thanks for these kind words! So frustrating when there's resistance to the right thing to do. I've been thinking about it a lot lately. How "rewilding hearts and minds" is our first and foremost task.