New pacific chorus frogs emerging from my frog pond (photo by Beth Pratt)

A few years ago I added a backyard frog pond to my home outside Yosemite (Certified Wildlife Habitat™ of course!). Build it and they will come. Only a few weeks after I erected the pond, I encountered a western toad at dusk heading toward the water with his peculiar walk.

Now year after year in the spring, I listen to the distinct and loud “kreck-ek” of the Pacific Chorus Frogs day and night. Mary Dickerson, who authored The Frog Book in 1906, deemed the chorus frog the “entertaining little acrobat of the frog world” and described their song: “At dusk or on rainy days a loud resonant trill comes from the trees and vines. The sound has the charm of contentment in it; in fact it is much like the purring of a cat, only louder.”

And of course much to my delight I also have an annual birth of chorus frog tadpoles in my pond (I love the Honduras word for tadpole: “bunbulun”). Watching these little guys transform from egg, to tadpole, to frog each year is magical.

A Tour of My Backyard Frog Pond

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Despite the success of my backyard frog sanctuary, I am extremely worried about our frog friends across the globe. As Kermit the Frog sang, “It’s Not Easy Being Green.” Today, amphibians worldwide are disappearing at an unprecedented rate—over a third of all amphibians are on the verge of extinction.

How can you help? Consider making your backyard frog and wildlife friendly through the National Wildlife Federation’s Certified Wildlife Habitat™ program. It’s fun and really does make a difference for frogs who are suffering from a loss of habitat in many areas.

National Wildlife Magazine also has an excellent new article about amphibian decline: Frogs Need Our Help, So Hop to It!

April 28^th is the 4^th annual celebration of the international Save the Frogs Day. The National Wildlife Federation is helping to sponsor two events, in Seattle and Yosemite National Park. Look for a Save the Frogs event in your area and come out and support our little green friends!

National Wildlife Federation’s Storytelling Video Diary Series shares the candid tales of nine NWF staffers from around the country; armed with their cameras in the Great Lakes, California, South Dakota, the Pacific Northwest, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC, these nine staffers will share with you their individual trials, epiphanies and stories as they unfold in their daily adventures.

Meeting Ranger Rick

My remarkable parents loved the outdoors and engendered my life-long passion for all things in nature. Mom volunteered as a Girl Scout leader and bravely chaperoned troops of giggling young girls on camping trips. My dad liked marine mammals and brought us on countless whale watching excursions and once drove us to see a beached whale on Cape Cod National Seashore.

Another important guide also helped develop my love for wilderness and wild creatures: Ranger Rick. I devoured every issue of Ranger Rick Magazine, marveling over the photos of the fascinating creatures that roamed this planet. Ranger Rick seemed the obvious extension of a “real-world” animal pal from my well-loved fictional ones like the friendly animals in the Narnia series or Wind in the Willows. I avidly followed Ranger Rick and his buddies on their adventures in nature—they were my allies in wonder.  Even as an adult I still delight in reading the magazine. When I met Ranger Rick in person last year after being hired by the National Wildlife Federation, I felt I had reunited with a childhood friend.

Here’s a fun video showing over 50 years of Ranger Rick connecting people to nature:

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The reverence for nature and curiosity about the natural world inspired by my parents and Ranger Rick led me to seek beyond my backyard explorations. I don’t remember the exact age when I discovered the idea of a “national park,” yet the concept resonated with my young self so completely that national parks acted, then and now, as my north star in life both personally and professionally. One of the most prized volumes on my bookshelf is a tattered hardcover entitled National Parks of the U.S.A. Inside the pages is a list written in faded ballpoint pen naming many parks: Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, and Glacier. I wrote that list as a young girl and I can still remember gazing endlessly at the photographs of granite peaks, roaring waterfalls, and magnificent wildlife, and daydreaming about wandering in those landscapes. I thought, someday, someday…

And someday came. I have been fortunate enough to work in two national parks, Yosemite and Yellowstone, and make my home on Yosemite’s border. My love for parks didn’t just come from gazing at photos of the parks themselves, but also from the wonderful people who work to protect “America’s Best Idea:” park rangers. Park rangers continue to be heroes to me. When I was a child, these friendly heroes instilled in me a love for our national parks. I recall their encouraging smiles and those comforting and crisp green uniforms, and the sense of accomplishment and of pride I experienced participating in Junior Ranger activities, thinking, I, too, am helping to protect these special places. The ranger programs I attended as a child instilled the idea of stewardship in me, the important role I played in protecting parks and all public lands for future generations.

Yosemite's official Junior Ranger Handbook

In one of those lifetime serendipitous moments both important childhood influences, Ranger Rick and Junior Rangers, are joining together. On April 21, I’ll be representing the National Wildlife Federation at National Junior Ranger Day in Yosemite. As part of National Parks Week, the park is hosting a special celebration and park rangers will be helping hundreds of children earn their Junior Ranger badges.  I’ll be marching in a parade alongside Ranger Rick with the newly sworn-in Junior Rangers to honor their achievement.

Truly, of all the work I have done in twenty years of environmental leadership, I consider this the highlight of my experiences—watching hundreds of children being introduced to the wonder of nature and committing to being stewards of our national parks and natural world. While watching them, I’ll have the satisfaction of knowing they have been given the precious and enduring gift of the absolute joy and wonderment that comes from nature opening your imagination. And I know that Ranger Rick and the Junior Ranger program will have played a role in instilling that joy and awe –just as they did to me as a young girl.

The author with park ranger Mary Kline swearing in new Junior Rangers in Yosemite

Beetle and poppy in the Merced River Canyon near Yosemite (photo by Beth Pratt)

So for my storytelling series, I thought I would introduce people to some of the amazing things I experience while living in California. First up, to celebrate today being the official California Poppy Day (April 6th, and I am not making that up-there actually is an official day for the flower), I thought I would begin with a video showing how the spring poppy bloom transforms the landscape near my home into hills of fiery sunshine. The poppy is California’s state flower and is also known as copa de oro (cup of gold), which fits well with the state’s apparent preoccupation with the mineral: California’s nickname is the Golden State, the state mineral is gold, the state colors are blue and gold, and even the state fish is the golden trout.

When strolling among the rainbow of wildflower blossoms, I couldn’t help but think of a few lines from the popular Tom Petty song, “You belong among the wildflowers/far away from your trouble and worry/you belong somewhere you feel free.” For me, that is the gift of nature: she always provides a safe haven, a respite from our worries and cares. It’s difficult not to feel rejuvenated after watching thousands of fiery flowers blowing gently in the wind.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Be sure to follow National Wildlife Federation California on Facebook and Twitter.

Stay tuned for my next Storytelling Video Diary entry about my backyard frog pond!

National Wildlife Federation’s Storytelling Video Diary Series shares the candid tales of nine NWF staffers from around the country; armed with their cameras in the Great Lakes, California, South Dakota, the Pacific Northwest, Northern Virginia, and Washington, DC, these nine staffers will share with you their individual trials, epiphanies and stories as they unfold in their daily adventures.

National Wildlife Week this year features 45 extra-ordinary wildlife species and their amazing talents. To celebrate the extra-ordinary wildlife that live in the extra-ordinary state of California, here are some of the featured animals that call California home.

Wildlife with Innovative Defenses

What do these wildlife have in common? They all have special ways of defending themselves.

Walking stick: The California walking stick subspecies has a wider body and shorter legs than its relatives. Aside from its camouflage, the walking stick employs a skunk-like defense mechanism: spraying foul smelling chemicals at their predators.

Walking stick crawling across my screen door (photo by Beth Pratt)

Western toad in my frog pond (photo by Beth Pratt)

Wildlife that Survive in Unusual Habitats

What do these wildlife have in common? They all survive in unusual habitats.

Bighorn sheep: These intrepid animals live in some of the harshest environments in the state: the high elevations of the Sierra Nevada and the blazing heat of the Mojave Desert.

Desert bighorn sheep in Anza Borrego State Park (photo by Beth Pratt)

Vernal pool fairy shrimp: These tiny creatures live in ephemeral vernal pools and have a short life span of about two months. After the pool dries up in the summer, eggs remain in the soil. When water returns to the vernal pool the next winter a new generation hatches.

Wildlife with Special Adaptations

What do these wildlife have in common? They all have special adaptations that help them to move about, find food, and find mates in their habitats.

Garden spider: I spotted this long-jawed, orb-weaving spider on a plant in my frog pond. These artistic engineers of the spider world build spiral webs with beautiful patterns to catch their prey.

Long-jawed, orb weaving spider in my backyard (photo by Beth Pratt)

Wildlife that are Record Breakers

What do these wildlife have in common? These animal “Olympians” are all record breakers.

Blue whale: The magnificent blue whale is the largest living animal on earth. The marine mammal can stretch to lengths of over 100 feet—its head alone accounts for ¼ of its body length! On average the blue whale weighs 100-150 tons.

Pronghorn: As the fastest land mammal in North America, these fleet-footed creatures can sprint across a grassy steppe at speeds of up to 60 mph.; even a newborn fawn a couple of days after its birth can run faster than a human.

Pronghorn running at full speed (photo by Beth Pratt)

Wildlife with Super Senses

What do these wildlife have in common? These are wildlife that have super senses.

Great horned owl: These owls are skilled hunters with a well-developed sense of hearing-they can hear the footsteps of a mouse from 75 feet away!

Great horned owl (photo by Beth Pratt)

Learn more about how you can celebrate EXTRA-ordinary species in your community and across the country during this year’s National Wildlife Week, March 19-25 >>

A smile (or a yawn) from Desert tortoise "Lucy" at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Center (photo by Beth Pratt)

And these critters are worth the effort. Desert tortoises are simply remarkable animals and have existed unchanged for about 18 million years.  As a Californian, I am proud of our intrepid little Mojave desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) who manages to survive in the driest desert in North America. They dig burrows that stretch for over twenty feet and can hand them down to multiple generations. Their bladder allows them to store up to 40% of their body weight in water in order to access it during the dry season. Since the Mojave receives only 5 inches of rain a year, and mostly in the winter season, this storage capacity is a vital adaptation for survival.

The author at the Desert Tortoise Natural Area (photo by Michelle Hansen)

Next stop: Mojave National Preserve. The scenery alone made the drive through the preserve worth the trip, and the surrounding mountains, twisted Joshua Tree woodlands, serene desert dunes, and scrub bush lowlands combined to create a magnificent symphony of nature. When we arrived at the Nipton Hotel for the night (great place to stay when visiting the Mojave), I gazed across the Ivanpah Valley and thought how much it resembled a seascape. The dark lowlands gave the impression of the ocean surface in motion, perhaps the desert’s memory of its once watery origins. Alas, we saw no desert tortoises again that day, but as we sipped wine and gazed at the stars, we both agreed it didn’t matter (well, maybe it mattered a little).

Our final chance (at least for this trip) was at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. When we first arrived at the viewing area at the Red Rock Canyon Visitor Center, much to our dismay none of the tortoises had emerged from their burrows. So instead we wandered into the Mojave Max education area. Mojave Max is the official spokestortoise for the Clark County Desert Conservation Program. We also toured the exhibits at the center—and I rate it one of the best visitor centers I have experienced—really fun and well designed.

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The remarkable desert tortoise (photo by Beth Pratt)

Desert tortoises are to be celebrated, as they are just cool critters. Yet they are also threatened animals. Both the California and the Federal Endangered Species Acts list the Mojave population as threatened, the result of habitat loss and fragmentation, disease, over-predation, human poaching, and invasive species. Renewable energy siting issues have the potential to impact the future of the tortoise. Climate change—combined with the other challenges—also poses a grave threat for this animal, as the increased temperatures may render an already extreme habitat uninhabitable and push the animal to extinction.

How can you help? You can symbolically adopt a desert tortoise through the National Wildlife Federation or donate to help support our important work in wildlife conservation.

But most importantly, your mission—should you choose to accept it—is to embark on your own fun search to see a desert tortoise.

Mission Desert Tortoise Accomplished! (photo by Michelle Hansen)

Bighorn sheep pair on the shoulder of Mt. Everts in Yellowstone

Bighorn sheep rut in Yellowstone

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Two bison during the annual rut in Hayden Valley in Yellowstone

A tender moment during the elk rut at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone

Scenes from the Yellowstone Elk Rut

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A misguided mating attempt between two Pacific chorus frogs in Yosemite

Pacific chorus frogs at Gaylor Lake in Yosemite

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River otter on the Yellowstone River in Hayden Valley share a cutthroat trout

Canada geese pair on the Gardner River at the north entrance of Yellowstone

Two bald eagles in Lamar Valley in Yellowstone

California red-legged frog (Courtesy of Save the Frogs)

Another of the Golden State’s frogs, the California red-legged, is struggling as well. This species was once considered one of the most abundant amphibians in California (and gained famed as being the frog featured in Mark Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County”), but now they are listed as federally threatened. The National Wildlife Federation and Save the Frogs named the California red-legged—the largest native frog in the western states—one of America’s top ten most threatened frogs.  Save the Frogs is currently trying to convince Mayor Ed Lee of San Francisco to turn over Sharp Park Wetlands—home to red-legged frogs and other creatures—to the National Park Service to ensure protection. The wetland site is currently a golf course. Show your support for California’s red-legged frog by sending Mayor Lee an email today.

California frogs are not alone in their plight. Over a third of all amphibian species are on the verge of extinction, the result of ongoing habitat destruction, infectious disease, pollution and pesticides, climate change, invasive species and other factors.  The National Wildlife Federation and Save the Frogs are partnering with the National Park Service and other Yosemite organizations to host a Save the Frogs Day event on April 28 in Yosemite National Park to celebrate and help protect these remarkable creatures. Stay tuned for details!

1. The remarkable life of Yellowstone wolf 495M: A friend of mine sponsored a radio collar in my name for 495M. When I lived in Yellowstone, I followed his adventures as the alpha male of Mollie’s Pack. He died this year, but had a remarkable life and got to live and die like a true wolf. Read the full story here >>

495M while tranquilized for research (Photo: Yellowstone Wolf Project)

Late bison calf "Zisa" in Yellowstone (photo by Beth Pratt)

The pika who ran over my foot poses for a photo. (Photo by Beth Pratt)

Two bald eagles in one day in the Sierra (photo by Beth Pratt)

The joy of dancing penquins (photo by Beth Pratt)

Desert bighorn sheep in Anza-Borrego State Park (photo by Beth Pratt)

Black bear in Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite (photo by Beth Pratt)

The life of a frog in my backyard pond (Photos by Beth Pratt)

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10. Ranger Rick at the Ahwahnee Hotel: During the first meeting of NWF’s California Advisory Council, we had a special visitor—Ranger Rick came to Yosemite! Also in the photo, council member Jack Laws, the talented naturalist and author of The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada.

Ranger Rick in Yosemite! With myself and Jack Laws.

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