Like many other creatures, populations of frogs, toads and salamanders, which are classified as amphibians, are in decline. Amphibians have many important functions in the environment. For example, their permeable skin which is affected by drought and toxic substances, makes them excellent indicators of the health of valuable ecosystems like forests and wetlands.
Research scientists are monitoring the health of amphibian populations, in an effort to understand and halt their decline. In this edition of Mothering Earth, we’ll learn about amphibians, and what we can do to protect these vulnerable members of our planet.
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After completing a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at Texas A&M University, Lee Ann began her career with Texas Parks and Wildlife as a biologist on the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area in Port Arthur where she served as a waterfowl and wetlands biologist and Alligator Program Leader. While at Murphree, she also took a one-year leave of absence to attend graduate school in Australia and protect Crocodile Dundee from crocodiles. In 1990 Lee Ann transferred to Austin, where she served as the Endangered Species Program Leader and then later developed Texas Nature Trackers, the Wildlife Division’s citizen science program. Lee Ann also served as advisor to the HCMN Chapter during that period. After retirement from TPWD, Lee Ann taught science for homeschool families for eight years, where she developed a unique Texas Wildlife Ecology course for middle and high school students. Lee Ann now enjoys continuing to participate in environmental education in Texas and in developing education, conservation, and nutrition programs through Noah’s FARM, an NGO working in Zimbabwe.
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Since it began in 2015, Mothering Earth has been bringing listeners informative programs on a broad range of environmental and sustainable living topics .
