A Debt We'll Never Repay
Jazmin Leath | November 2021
When I was 19 years old, I got a summer job as a tour guide at a zipline course. My role was to instruct visitors on how to safely traverse the course, as well as deliver an engaging and educational interpretation. In an easygoing but responsible manner, I would tell jokes and share fun facts about the history and ecology of the area. Then at the end of the tour everyone would gather around a large cardboard cutout of our mascot, Zippy the Frog, for a group photo. One day I asked a friend, who had worked there far longer than me, why we had that frog as our mascot. He told me that it was a Pine Barrens tree frog and that this was one of the few places where they are still found in the wild.
Naturally, I then turned to Google, and after finding a more realistic picture of it than the cartoon on our logo, I realized that I had never seen one in person before. I’ve found gray tree frogs, green tree frogs, a pine woods tree frog, which is distinctly different, and a multitude of common toads, but never the Pine Barrens tree frog. My manager, who had worked at the course for over a decade, said that they used to be fairly easy to find, especially after a good rain. However, after three months of working there, I had ended plenty of tours soaking wet, due to summertime showers, and still had not spotted a single one. I found it strange that they were so elusive to my eye, especially since I consider myself to be an avid critter catcher. However, at the time, I simply accepted that this one had bested me... at least, for now.
Months later, after I’d left that job and returned to school, I began looking into the case of the Pine Barrens tree frog once again, for a class assignment. I learned that they’re quite small amphibians, no longer than my thumb when fully grown. They can display varying shades of green from pale and pastel-like, to a darker, grassy tone. And they also possess a couple of attributes that make it a coveted species among herpetologists. The lavender stripes on each side of their body, spanning from the inner corner of their eyes to their rear legs, sets it apart from the common green tree frog. In addition to the inner, concealed part of their legs being colored a bright orange and dotted with yellow spots.
During this research phase of my assignment, I had made a couple trips home to Fayetteville, North Carolina and decided to, once again, try my luck at setting eyes on one of these herpetology holy grails. The Pine Barrens tree frog is typically found in the transition zones of the sandhills where there are seeps and low vegetation that is maintained by periodical wildfires. However, due to human development and the consequential reduction of these habitats, they now also inhabit areas along power lines and gas rights-of-way. The vegetation of these areas is kept low due to mowing, creating the open habitat preferred by this species.
So there I was, searching the low brush of these random strips of open land, kept neat enough for the maintenance workers, while still allowing some wildness to permeate. As I quietly scoured the ground and small shrubs for signs of life, I thought to myself how I probably looked a little ridiculous to any passerby in my safari-like get up, which consisted of hiking boots, khaki pants and my lucky fisherman’s hat. I walked slowly and intently, determined to find my missing mascot. However, after spending a few hours at what I thought were promising sites, I finally decided to call it and went home underwhelmed and empty-handed. The Pine Barrens tree frog had evaded me once again.
As I continued reading up on the species, I began to take a closer look at its distribution and rarity. There are three disjunct areas that it’s known to inhabit; the New Jersey pine barrens, the Carolina Sandhills, and the Florida panhandle/Alabama southern border. Globally, the species is considered Near Threatened, but on the national level (with the exception of New Jersey who classifies it as Threatened), it's been delisted. Apparently, there was a new population found in Florida which indicated that the species had grown to a point where it’s no longer considered a major concern. Begrudgingly, I celebrated the fact that this was a successful case of conservation and that perhaps, I’m just not as good at frog catching as I thought. The only place they’re still threatened is New Jersey and, really, who could blame them? It’s New Jersey.
However, as I continued investigating, my bittersweet elation began to fade. I learned that “delisted” does not necessarily mean saved. In fact, the population trend of the Pine Barrens tree frog shows a steady decline. And that promising new population in Florida? Well, that was almost 40 years ago. Four new breeding groups were discovered in 1984 and that led the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to believe that the species’ distribution was more widespread than previously anticipated. However, I was unable to find any evidence of a count being conducted, and the present population trend clearly disagrees with their conclusions. So I began to wonder, why was it no longer being protected?
In 2019, an international panel of scientists concluded that one million species are threatened with extinction, and in some cases, as early as the next decade. Yet only 41,415 are on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List-- “the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status.” It would seem that my summer job mascot simply no longer made the cut. There was no doubt he was in danger, but not enough danger. We are at a point where it is no longer a matter of a species doing better but rather, another doing so much worse, that time, resources, and attention can no longer be spared on an obscure frog in the Carolinas. No more can be spared on non-pollinating insects. No more can be spared on a plant nobody knows. No more can be spared on a species that lacks human value.
The story of the Pine Barrens tree frog echoes that of many around the world. A once vast and thriving species, carefully crafted by evolution to fit its environment, now struggling to survive, left to the ecological scraps of our civilization. Zippy the Frog is just another name on a long list of those who’ve already lost their homes to deforestation and habitat fragmentation. Despite adapting in the face of an ever shifting environment, moving into any space with the slightest semblance of home, even the strongest eventually drop out of the evolutionary rat race against humanity. And what saddens me the most, is that it seems all we have to do to save them is stop. Stop building and breaking, filling and draining, condensing and expanding everywhere we go. The cycles we’ve trapped ourselves in are costing us, and we’re acquiring a debt we’ll never be able to repay.
Nonetheless, I am not without hope. With each visit home, I will continue the search for my missing mascot, my former neighbor. I will continue to care when it seems like no one else can. And like many environmentalists and advocates around the world, I will continue to do whatever I can until I can’t any longer, for the simple reason that our world needs no more unwilling martyrs.
Sources
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “Pine Barrens Treefrog.” Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, 2017, https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/amphibians/pine-barrens-treefrog/.
Bennett, Stephen H., and Kurt A. Buhlmann. “Pine Barrens Treefrog Done - Dc.statelibrary.sc.gov.” South Carolina State Library Digital Collections, 2005, https://dc.statelibrary.sc.gov/bitstream/handle/10827/10982/DNR_Species_Pine_Barrens_Treefro g_2005.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
Hammerson, G.A. “The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species- Pine Barrens Treefrog.” IUCN Red List, 30 Apr. 2004, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/10350/112711185.
Environmental Conservation Online System. “Species Profile- Pine Barrens Tree Frog.” ECOS, 2017, https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/4506#status.
United States, Congress, Endangered and Threatened Species, and Thomas W Turnipseed.
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Rule To Remove the Florida Population of the Pine Barrens Treefrog From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and To Rescind Previously Determined Critical Habitat, pp. 62–64.
Briggs, Helen. “Wildlife in 'Catastrophic Decline' Due to Human Destruction, Scientists Warn.” BBC News, BBC, 10 Sept. 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-54091048.
Kasnoff, Craig. “Threatened Species by Country C.” Endangered Earth, 2021, https://www.endangeredearth.com/threatened-species-by-country-c/.
Jazmin Leath | November 2021
When I was 19 years old, I got a summer job as a tour guide at a zipline course. My role was to instruct visitors on how to safely traverse the course, as well as deliver an engaging and educational interpretation. In an easygoing but responsible manner, I would tell jokes and share fun facts about the history and ecology of the area. Then at the end of the tour everyone would gather around a large cardboard cutout of our mascot, Zippy the Frog, for a group photo. One day I asked a friend, who had worked there far longer than me, why we had that frog as our mascot. He told me that it was a Pine Barrens tree frog and that this was one of the few places where they are still found in the wild.
Naturally, I then turned to Google, and after finding a more realistic picture of it than the cartoon on our logo, I realized that I had never seen one in person before. I’ve found gray tree frogs, green tree frogs, a pine woods tree frog, which is distinctly different, and a multitude of common toads, but never the Pine Barrens tree frog. My manager, who had worked at the course for over a decade, said that they used to be fairly easy to find, especially after a good rain. However, after three months of working there, I had ended plenty of tours soaking wet, due to summertime showers, and still had not spotted a single one. I found it strange that they were so elusive to my eye, especially since I consider myself to be an avid critter catcher. However, at the time, I simply accepted that this one had bested me... at least, for now.
Months later, after I’d left that job and returned to school, I began looking into the case of the Pine Barrens tree frog once again, for a class assignment. I learned that they’re quite small amphibians, no longer than my thumb when fully grown. They can display varying shades of green from pale and pastel-like, to a darker, grassy tone. And they also possess a couple of attributes that make it a coveted species among herpetologists. The lavender stripes on each side of their body, spanning from the inner corner of their eyes to their rear legs, sets it apart from the common green tree frog. In addition to the inner, concealed part of their legs being colored a bright orange and dotted with yellow spots.
During this research phase of my assignment, I had made a couple trips home to Fayetteville, North Carolina and decided to, once again, try my luck at setting eyes on one of these herpetology holy grails. The Pine Barrens tree frog is typically found in the transition zones of the sandhills where there are seeps and low vegetation that is maintained by periodical wildfires. However, due to human development and the consequential reduction of these habitats, they now also inhabit areas along power lines and gas rights-of-way. The vegetation of these areas is kept low due to mowing, creating the open habitat preferred by this species.
So there I was, searching the low brush of these random strips of open land, kept neat enough for the maintenance workers, while still allowing some wildness to permeate. As I quietly scoured the ground and small shrubs for signs of life, I thought to myself how I probably looked a little ridiculous to any passerby in my safari-like get up, which consisted of hiking boots, khaki pants and my lucky fisherman’s hat. I walked slowly and intently, determined to find my missing mascot. However, after spending a few hours at what I thought were promising sites, I finally decided to call it and went home underwhelmed and empty-handed. The Pine Barrens tree frog had evaded me once again.
As I continued reading up on the species, I began to take a closer look at its distribution and rarity. There are three disjunct areas that it’s known to inhabit; the New Jersey pine barrens, the Carolina Sandhills, and the Florida panhandle/Alabama southern border. Globally, the species is considered Near Threatened, but on the national level (with the exception of New Jersey who classifies it as Threatened), it's been delisted. Apparently, there was a new population found in Florida which indicated that the species had grown to a point where it’s no longer considered a major concern. Begrudgingly, I celebrated the fact that this was a successful case of conservation and that perhaps, I’m just not as good at frog catching as I thought. The only place they’re still threatened is New Jersey and, really, who could blame them? It’s New Jersey.
However, as I continued investigating, my bittersweet elation began to fade. I learned that “delisted” does not necessarily mean saved. In fact, the population trend of the Pine Barrens tree frog shows a steady decline. And that promising new population in Florida? Well, that was almost 40 years ago. Four new breeding groups were discovered in 1984 and that led the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to believe that the species’ distribution was more widespread than previously anticipated. However, I was unable to find any evidence of a count being conducted, and the present population trend clearly disagrees with their conclusions. So I began to wonder, why was it no longer being protected?
In 2019, an international panel of scientists concluded that one million species are threatened with extinction, and in some cases, as early as the next decade. Yet only 41,415 are on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List-- “the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status.” It would seem that my summer job mascot simply no longer made the cut. There was no doubt he was in danger, but not enough danger. We are at a point where it is no longer a matter of a species doing better but rather, another doing so much worse, that time, resources, and attention can no longer be spared on an obscure frog in the Carolinas. No more can be spared on non-pollinating insects. No more can be spared on a plant nobody knows. No more can be spared on a species that lacks human value.
The story of the Pine Barrens tree frog echoes that of many around the world. A once vast and thriving species, carefully crafted by evolution to fit its environment, now struggling to survive, left to the ecological scraps of our civilization. Zippy the Frog is just another name on a long list of those who’ve already lost their homes to deforestation and habitat fragmentation. Despite adapting in the face of an ever shifting environment, moving into any space with the slightest semblance of home, even the strongest eventually drop out of the evolutionary rat race against humanity. And what saddens me the most, is that it seems all we have to do to save them is stop. Stop building and breaking, filling and draining, condensing and expanding everywhere we go. The cycles we’ve trapped ourselves in are costing us, and we’re acquiring a debt we’ll never be able to repay.
Nonetheless, I am not without hope. With each visit home, I will continue the search for my missing mascot, my former neighbor. I will continue to care when it seems like no one else can. And like many environmentalists and advocates around the world, I will continue to do whatever I can until I can’t any longer, for the simple reason that our world needs no more unwilling martyrs.
Sources
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “Pine Barrens Treefrog.” Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission, 2017, https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/amphibians/pine-barrens-treefrog/.
Bennett, Stephen H., and Kurt A. Buhlmann. “Pine Barrens Treefrog Done - Dc.statelibrary.sc.gov.” South Carolina State Library Digital Collections, 2005, https://dc.statelibrary.sc.gov/bitstream/handle/10827/10982/DNR_Species_Pine_Barrens_Treefro g_2005.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
Hammerson, G.A. “The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species- Pine Barrens Treefrog.” IUCN Red List, 30 Apr. 2004, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/10350/112711185.
Environmental Conservation Online System. “Species Profile- Pine Barrens Tree Frog.” ECOS, 2017, https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/species/4506#status.
United States, Congress, Endangered and Threatened Species, and Thomas W Turnipseed.
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Rule To Remove the Florida Population of the Pine Barrens Treefrog From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and To Rescind Previously Determined Critical Habitat, pp. 62–64.
Briggs, Helen. “Wildlife in 'Catastrophic Decline' Due to Human Destruction, Scientists Warn.” BBC News, BBC, 10 Sept. 2020, https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-54091048.
Kasnoff, Craig. “Threatened Species by Country C.” Endangered Earth, 2021, https://www.endangeredearth.com/threatened-species-by-country-c/.