| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2010 3:41 am |
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Local News 
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Amphibian center to open on Edmonds waterfront EDMONDS — Growing up, Thayer Cueter was known commonly as “Froggie” or “Frog Lady.” Her love of frogs and her desire to protect them never wavered.Now, Cueter plans to soon open a permanent amphibian center on the Edmonds waterfront. The Just Frogs Toads Too! Foundation, which is nonprofit organization, will open an amphibian center in mid-August. It’s planned for 300 Admiral Way, Suite 104, Edmonds, below Arnie’s Restaurant. The location will be a permanent home for some of Cueter’s 9,000 frogs, as well as being an educational resource and a retail outlet. “We started out with one frog, which is our mascot, Grendel,” Cueter said. “Then, we ended up with two more frogs, three more frogs, toads, more frogs, bugs, stick bugs, and we became a small zoo. This amphibian center is no longer just a gift center. (The animals) will be on display for the public. “It’s going to be what we call a one-stop frog shop. But it’s more than a shop now. This is a leaping learning center.” Education will also be a vital service at this center. Worldwide, frog populations are in decline. More than 200 different species of frogs have become extinct in the last five years. “Frogs are our No. 1 indicator that there’s a problem,” Cueter said. “When they start moving around and telling us that we have a problem, we should be listening.” Frogs and other amphibians have survived the last two mass extinction episodes. But frogs are also our canary in the coal mine, meaning that they are one of the first species to be affected by changes in the environment. Their decline in recent years is a warning sign to humans. People around the world, including Cueter, have taken notice. Amphibian Ark, an organization put together by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums, launched a program called the Year of the Frog in 2008. Frogs are threatened on multiple sources. Pesticides, habitat loss, pollution, climate change and the invasive chytrid fungus are all contributing to the loss of frog populations. More locally, Cueter is leading efforts in Edmonds and around Snohomish County to help bring back frogs that were leaving the area. “In the Edmonds Backyard Habitat society group, we’re teaching people to provide corridors of healthy living so these (animals) can move to locations in Edmonds,” Cueter said. “By providing corridors with no pesticides and healthy living and shelter and water, these frogs are moving back into the area.” Cueter, who is also a veterinary technician and a herpetologist, has had several frog shops in Edmonds through the years. There have been a lot of people who have come and knocked on the door of the Amphibian Center, asking when it’ll be open to the public, Cueter explained. “I got people knocking down the doors for birthday parties,” she said. “My mailing list is about 3,800. And now I’ve got followers from Kingston, Snohomish, Michigan, Ohio, California and Oregon. This will be a busy location.” It’s all for the frogs, and to help save the frogs. Amphibians A new nonprofit organization called the Just Frogs Toads Too! Amphibian Center is expected to open in mid-August. The location is at 300 Admiral Way, Suite 104, Edmonds, below Arnie’s Restaurant. |
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