1. Thursday 6 October • 4PM • WDFS (WFB) 258 Wildlife’s EcoSeries Seminar
Young Scientists Monitor a Deadly Disease Threatening Their Local Amphibian Community, Humboldt County, CA
Bilingual McKinleyville Ecoclub youth and families conducted citizen science to assess regional prevalence and distribution of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, the chytrid fungus, May 2013 to April 2016, at Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Redwood National and State Parks. This multigenerational program of 27 youth and 25 adults integrated traditionally underserved portions of our community, based on ethnic diversity and income. Positive chytrid samples occurred among foothill yellow-legged frogs (Rana boylii), northern red-legged frogs (Rana aurora aurora), Pacific chorus frogs (Pseudacris regilla), and western toads (Anaxyrus [Bufo] boreas). Frogs sampled in cooler months were more likely to be positive than those sampled in warmer months. Youth (≤ 12yr old) found higher prevalences of positive samples of amphibians sampled compared to teens and adults. The study supports the idea that the care, rigor, and quality of design and sampling used by Ecoclub youth and families is comparable to those of professional scientists, and supports the potential value of integrating multigenerational and ethnically diverse youth and families into citizen science programs. Such programs also help break down the distrust of science held by some members of the public and increasingly are making valuable contributions to conservation science.
Dr. Rick Botzler1,2, Nate Botzler1 and Dakota Anderson Spirit1
1Bilingual McKinleyville Ecoclub Amphibian Group, McKinleyville, California
2Professor emeritus, Wildlife Department, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California
Department of Wildlife
This event is wheelchair accessible. Persons who wish to request disability-related accommodations, including sign-language interpreters, should contact Emily Please request accommodations at least two weeks prior to the event.