Gov. Purdue recognizes Save the Frogs Day
Gov. Beverly Purdue of North Carolina recently issued a proclamation officially declaring April 28 “Save the Frogs Day” in the state of North Carolina.
The governor’s move was prompted by the request of 13-year-old Rachel Hopkins, an eighth-grade student at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh. The student has been working over the past year to spread the word about the rapid disappearance of amphibians in North Carolina and around the world.
Worldwide, nearly one-third of the world’s nearly 6,897 amphibian species are threatened with extinction and 200 species have completely disappeared since the late 1970’s. North Carolina is considered one of the world’s amphibian biodiversity hotspots. In particular, the state boasts at least 60 different salamander species, including the threatened Southern Gray-cheeked Salamander and Red-Legged Salamander.
The governor’s choice of April 28 coincides with worldwide events planned for the day, which will be the fourth-annual Save the Frogs Day.
