WPC proud to bring its expertise to this awareness-raising effort

Guelph, ON / April 15, 2024 / On April 15, Canada Post began rolling out new stamps featuring the country’s most endangered amphibian: the Oregon spotted frog. In Canada, this speckled species is found only in British Columbia’s Lower Fraser Valley, where just a few hundred individuals remain in a handful of small, widely scattered populations. 

To ensure the scientific accuracy of the images and the supplemental information that comes with each pack of stamps, Canada Post tapped the expertise of Wildlife Preservation Canada (WPC) — a leader in frog conservation. Since 2010, WPC has been pioneering recovery efforts for this amphibian, breeding and reintroducing Oregon spotted tadpoles and froglets into B.C.’s wetlands to re-establish viable populations in the wild.

Prior to 2021, a good year of conservation breeding would produce roughly 1,500 tadpoles. But by constantly testing new techniques, the team pioneered a new approach for introducing males to females in carefully designed “love tubs.” As a result, WPC now consistently produces more than 20,000 tadpoles for release to bolster wild populations.

In a global first, WPC’s team also developed effective treatment protocols to combat chytrid fungus, a lethal disease that can decimate Oregon spotted frogs, and has been responsible for frog extinctions around the world.  

Dr. Lance Woolaver Jr., WPC’s executive director, welcomes the attention that Canada Post’s new stamps bring to this species. Each book provides information about Oregon spotted frogs, alongside lifelike art of one devouring a northern bluet — one of many insects in its diet. The endangered frog series also features Fowler’s toad, a nocturnal species found along the north shore of Lake Erie that is high on WPC’s priority list for future conservation projects.

We are thrilled to have helped Canada Post provide the highest level of scientific accuracy on such a terrific project and bring awareness to the species we work with,” says Dr. Woolaver. “Preserving these frogs isn’t just a moral obligation. It’s an investment in our future, because the loss of any species has the potential to upset the delicate balance of critically important ecosystems.

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For more information, contact:

Dr. Lance Woolaver Jr.

Executive Director, Wildlife Preservation Canada

519-400-3243 

lance.woolaver@wildlifepreservation.ca 

www.wildlifepreservation.ca

About Wildlife Preservation Canada

Wildlife Preservation Canada is the last defence for endangered species in the country. For nearly four decades, we’ve provided direct, hands-on care for reptiles, amphibians, birds, insects and mammals on the brink of extinction. We’re on a mission to save animals at risk in Canada, provide opportunities for young Canadian biologists to increase their expertise, and advance conservation science with new methods. WPC is one of the only organizations in Canada that breeds endangered species and releases them to the wild, giving back directly to nature.



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