Protecting Taiwan's Frog Ecosystem Together, Yang Yiru leads teachers and students to have a glimpse into the world of frogs
Apr 10, 2023
Frogs play a crucial role in the ecosystem, but they are often overlooked creatures. Over time, with the expansion of human activities, the habitats of wild animals, including frogs, have gradually diminished and become fragmented, leading to a decline in frog populations. How can we raise public awareness about frogs, promote conservation efforts, and mobilize citizen power to study and protect these small creatures once again? On the 11th, the General Education Center of National Chung Cheng University will host an event where Yang Yiru, an expert in frog conservation, will discuss how we can collectively protect Taiwan's frog world.
When Yang Yiru was studying at the Department of Zoology at National Taiwan University, she met Wang Qingrang, an expert on amphibians and reptiles, who introduced her to the world of frogs. For more than 20 years, she has led over 600 volunteers in conducting frog surveys across Taiwan and was elected as the first chairman of the Taiwan Amphibian Conservation Association in June 2019. When asked why the frog tune volunteers decided to establish the association after many years of operation, Yang Yiru explained that it marks the beginning of the next stage of their tasks. The association will continue to investigate and monitor frogs while collaborating with the community to conserve their habitats. "If we don't address the habitat issue, our surveys may simply bear witness to the gradual extinction of these species."
Currently teaching at the Department of Natural Resources and Environment at Donghua University, Yang Yiru specializes in ecology, conservation biology, and amphibian conservation education. During her tenure at Donghua University, she organized speech recordings, teaching PPTs, and teaching plans through the digital collection project of the National Science Council, gradually establishing important network resources such as the "Taiwan Amphibian Conservation Network," "Frog World Learning Network," "Frog World Digital Academy," "Taiwan Amphibian Video Library," and "Taiwan Frog Appreciation Information."
The Liberal Studies Center of National Chung Cheng University highlighted that Yang Yiru's talk will focus on the theme "Protecting Taiwan's Frog World Together." Frogs inhabit areas surrounding human beings and are easily observed and approached, making them excellent teaching materials for conservation education. During the lecture, Yang Yiru will use videos and audio to help the audience explore the characteristics and fascinating behaviors of frogs in Taiwan. Additionally, she will shed light on the threats faced by frogs and how citizen science can be employed to monitor changes in the wild frog populations in Taiwan and control the invasion of foreign species, thus protecting Taiwan's frog world. All teachers, students, and residents are welcome to join the event at 4:10 p.m. on April 11 in Lecture Hall 106 of the Common Classroom Building, where they can hear Yang Yiru's insights on this important topic that encompasses academic research and ecological conservation.
