Colorado’s boreal toads are in trouble. As deadly chytrid fungus continues to spread from wetland to wetland, they need our help if they’re going to survive. In collaboration with GARNA and Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Denver Zoo is taking two conservation actions to bring boreal toads back from the brink:
Breeding + Release. To prevent boreal toad populations from completely disappearing, Denver Zoo is using animal care expertise to breed these native amphibians at Denver Zoo and then release the tadpoles into the wild. This will also give wild populations more of a chance to build genetic resistance to chytrid.
Community Science. To save the boreal toad, Denver Zoo needs to understand how it’s doing in Colorado, and that’s where you come in! In the summer months, volunteer community scientists play a key role in boreal toad conservation by monitoring historic toad habitat. This data will help by identifying future sites for wild reintroduction and locating unknown populations (potentially even ‘super-toads’ that may have natural resistance to chytrid fungus).
GARNA is helping Denver Zoo recruit volunteers to participate in guided hikes to learn how to monitor toad habitat. The locations monitored on each date are:
June 15 Bear Lake & Galena Lake near Leadville (Moderate Hike)
June 16 Grassey Lake (Difficult hike)
June 17 Tunnel Lake (Difficult hike)
June 18 Hancock Lake (Easy/Moderate hike)
More information will be provided upon registration.
