DOW Volunteer Program News: Call of the Wild - Colorado Division ...

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A close-up of a
boreal toad.
“One swallow does not
make a summer, but
one skein of geese,
cleaving the murk of
March thaw, is the
Spring.”
—Aldo Leopold
Volunteers conduct a boreal
toad survey.
C o l o r a d o D i v i s i o n o f W i l d l i f e V o l u n t e e r P r o g r a m N e w s
Volunteers Make a Difference With
Endangered Species
The boreal toad,
a state endangered species,
is an elusive amphibian
that can be
found in high elevation
wetland habitats. Once
common in Colorado,
the toad population continues
to decline due mostly to a disease
called chytrid fungus. Chytrid fungus has
caused the decline of amphibians on a
worldwide scale and is a major threat to
native amphibian species in Colorado.
A volunteer program for boreal
toad surveys in the southeast region got
its start in 2008. Since then, almost 50
volunteers have been trained on how to
survey and identify boreal toads, as well
as how to help stop the spread of chytrid
fungus through proper decontamination.
The boreal toad volunteers have assisted
local biologists by contributing hundreds
of hours helping to look for new boreal
toad locations and identifying potential
toad habitat. They’ve also provided a
wonderful resource by educating others
about reporting boreal toads and how to
help stop the spread of chytrid fungus.
Thank you to all the boreal toad
volunteers for helping to protect the endangered
amphibian!
Colorado Hunting Advertised
The DOW is expanding its recruitment
and retention efforts to attract
more families to wildlife-related recreation.
As part of this broader initiative,
the DOW is testing a local and national
pilot hunting marketing effort from Feb
15 – Apr 5 (the 2011 Big Game License
application deadline). The campaign is
called “Elevate Your Game.” A 30 second
and 15 second video spot will air on the
Sportsmen’s and Outdoor cable channels
as well as various outdoor sports oriented
websites, including Field and Stream. A
print ad will appear in Outdoor Life and
Game & Fish magazines. We hope this
benefits both license sales and the state as
a whole this year.