Does the thought of amphibian hibernation have you a bit down?
Do you find yourself staring at the pond, watching it freeze over wishing the frogs were
calling?
Do you wish there were a way to keep doing citizen science monitoring through the winter?
Don’t you wish you could help scientists year-round, instead of just when the frogs are
calling?
If you answered yes to any of those questions, then this new Citizen Science program from Nature
Abounds www.natureabounds.org will be right up your alley.
www.natureabounds.org/icewatch

IceWatch USA™, a new program of Nature Abounds, brings you the opportunity to help scientists study how our climate is changing! In as little as 10 minutes, you can report information that will help to analyze how our climate will change in different regions of the United States, and how our ecosystems are reacting to the change. IceWatch USA™ is modeled after and a proud partner of Ice Watch Canada.
IceWatch USA™ needs your help, and becoming an IceWatcher is very easy.

All you need to do is:
► choose a location to observe over the winter, like a nearby lake, bay, or river
► record your observations and
► report your observations to us via mail or email.
Your information will then be entered
into a database, compared to other reports,
and shared with interested scientists.

If you’d like more information you can contact:

Nature Abounds
Phone: 814-765-1453
Fax: 814-765-1453
Email: info@natureabounds.org

As you know, Peace Frogs supports herpetology research.  We believe that by paying attention to our small amphibian friends and the fragile system they live within, we’re helping to save the planet.  When the frogs start croaking, it’s a really bad sign.  We strongly encourage you to pick something, anything that you believe in and put your heart behind supporting it.  If you’d like to support frogs like we do, here are some suggestions from Wendell Zetterberg, Jr.

Help Declining Amphibian Populations

Volunteer at http://www.frogwatch.org or http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/naamp/
Be Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) at http://www.parcplace.org

Check out Nature Abounds www.natureabounds.org <http://www.natureabounds.org>

Check out my blog: http://wendellsfrogblog.tripod.com/
Look in the links section for a Herpetological Society near you!
In Indiana, go to http://www.hoosierherpsociety.org
or http://www.myspace.com/hoosierherpsociety
Check out my MySpace profile at http://www.myspace.com/wendellsfrogpage

2008 is The Year of the FROG!
www.yearofthefrog.org <http://www.yearofthefrog.org> www.amphibianark.org <http://www.amphibianark.org>
www.savethefrog.com <http://www.savethefrog.com>

Summer seemed to evaporate like drops of water on a hot sidewalk. Before we know it, millions of college students will be packing up and moving into dorms – many of them living away from home for the first time. Nothing eases those first day jitters like comfortable clothing – so go ahead and stock up. We’ve got everything a new college student needs except tuition (sorry, mom and dad).

1. Organic clothing for your socially conscious student
2. Messenger bags – to replace that ratty old backpack
3. Afghans – to snuggle under while studying or to throw down for emergency picnics
4. Frisbee for instant friends. (Don’t believe us? Try it.)
5. Three pegged wall mounted shelf for holding wet towels and rain gear
6. Lounge wear for…lounging. (But we all know the kids wear it to class.)
7. Comfy embroidered sweatshirts to put on over your lounge wear on chilly nights
8. Flip flops to protect your feet from dorm showers
9. Mouse pads help your mouse last longer
10. Stickers for your dorm door – so everyone will know you’re feeling peaceful.

Hope your year is everything you’ve wished for and then some. Just remember to write once in a while, would you?

Until next time,

Kermit the blog

Here at Peace Frogs, we think it’s easy to be green - but we’re always looking for new ideas. So we’ve decided to share some of our favorite tips - and hope you’ll do the same. Go ahead, dazzle us. Make us green with jealousy. As always, if you feel like sending a picture our way - please do. We love to hear from you!

Post your tips here - and send your pictures to frogpix@peacefrogs.org.

Drive more peacefully – You won’t get to your destination any faster by riding the bumper of the car in front of you and all that accelerating and decelerating can reduce your gas mileage by 33% - or around fifty cents a gallon.

Lose the Plastic – In order to keep up with America’s demand for plastic bottles, manufacturers burn approximately 1.5 million barrels of oil. That’s enough to power 100,000 cars for a year. To make matters worse, bottles that don’t make it to recycling never biodegrade in a landfill. Buy a refillable bottle and you’ll make a huge difference on the environment. Watch the market for biodegradable bottles – many are only available in organic groceries but new markets open every day.

Buy Organic Cotton Clothing - Peace Frogs has always been committed to helping the environment. From field to factory, the cotton used in these shirts meets rigorous organic certification standards put forth by the USDA. They’re dyed and finished without the use of environmentally harmful chemicals, and are cut and sewn in manufacturing facilities committed to socially responsible practices.

Get Out and Walk – Go to Google maps and choose your starting and ending destination, but notice the new drop down bar that lets you choose whether you would like to walk or drive. Next time you have errands to run and dread the idea of scrambling for parking, map out your errands and park your car in a central location. You’ll save time, energy, stress, and fuel.

Recycle your old CDs – Wondering what to do with all your old scratched or cracked CD’s? Back those with felt or cork and you’ve got instant coasters. Most CD’s can be marked with a permanent marker – which means a creative person could turn them into miniature works of art and a child can make a one-of-a-kind gift. Don’t need coasters? CD’s make groovy wallpaper, iridescent mobiles, light catchers in a window and can become a cool mosaic if broken. If you’ve only got one, don’t worry – the center cutout hole measures a perfect single serving of spaghetti noodles.

Give Some Green – Peace Frogs participates in a number of charitable events, but we also give generously to those organizations that live and work green. Buy green when you can, support the organizations that live in a way you’re ethically comfortable with and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same.