We’re just about halfway through the year and fieldwork has been booming! We’ve had not only our first return to international fieldwork since Covid-19, but we’ve also returned to den research with the Maryland DNR and local cleanups with volunteers from departments Zoo-wide. From black bears to tiny Panamanian Golden Frogs, check out some of the projects we have worked on so far this year.
Trips in 2022 thus far include:
- Black bear den research
- Panamanian Golden Frog conservation in Panama
- Local Maryland waterway cleanup
Otter Point Creek Cleanup
In May, a team of Zoo staff spent the day removing trash (including a door!) from Otter Point Creek here in Maryland. Keeping our local environment clean is a conservation action we can all take!
Panamanian Golden Frog Conservation in Panama
In April, our Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians, Kevin Barrett, completed the Zoo’s first international fieldwork trip since COVID-19! He traveled to Panama to assist our conservation partners, EVACC Foundation, with Panamanian golden frog research. This work helps to pave the way for future reintroductions of critically endangered PGFs into the wild.
In May, we had another return to Panama when Zoo team members Danielle and Chris used their expertise and animal husbandry skills to once again support our conservation partners, EVACC Foundation, with Panamanian golden frog care. This included cleaning and repairing tanks at their center in El Valle, Panama.
Black Bear Research in Maryland
We team up with many local wildlife organizations to help perform fieldwork and research for native species right here in Maryland—like wild black bears. Throughout the year, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife biologists track, monitor, and manage the black bear population in Maryland. Zoo staff join the effort each spring season to help perform health checks on sows and their newly birthed cubs. The bears are examined, weighed, and measured to help ensure the population is a healthy one.
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