Introduction >Home Page >About this Guide >Table of Contents Contents 1. What you can do 2. Water 3. Ecology 4. Amphibians 5. Environmental Issues 6. Keystone species 7. Get Wet!- Field Study Ideas 8. The Zoo Experience 9. Frogs & Friends 10. Case Studies 11. Resources 12. Glossary |
RESOURCES This section includes references and information sources for educators and students, lists organizations that have a particular interest in wetlands, water resources and/or amphibians and it suggests sources for difficult-to-obtain materials required for some of the exercises (e.g. where to find snails, sodium sulphate, and so on). ORGANIZATIONS YOU MIGHT WISH TO CONTACT: Adopt-A-Pond Program, Frogwatch-Ontario - see Unit 5: Environmental Issues Canadian Amphibian/Reptile Conservation Society, Canadian Nature Federation, Canadian Wildlife Federation, Canadian Wildlife Service, Conservation Authorities Conservation Council of Ontario, Ducks Unlimited Canada (Head Office), Regional Offices for Ducks Unlimited Canada: Ducks Unlimited has been involved in wetland conservation for fifty years. They sponsor educational programs but also provide financial support for wetland restoration and conservation on private and public lands. Environment Canada-Ontario Region, Federation of Ontario Naturalists, "Frog Surveys" Canadian Wildlife Service, The Great Lakes Science Advisory Board. Marsh Monitoring Program, Ministry of Natural Resources (Ontario), Nature Conservancy of Canada, World Wildlife Fund , ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SOURCES TO CHECK: :: Newspapers (local, national, and international) for articles about disappearing wetlands, and for information about local issues relating to wetlands and amphibians. Many newspapers, like the Toronto Star and Ottawa Citizen, produce a weekly section on the environment that often deals with wetlands. :: Nature and/or environmental magazines or journals are produced by many of the organizations listed earlier. Children's publications, like Chickadee, OWL, Ranger Rick and the Canadian Wildlife's new publication, WILD, often carry articles of interest. :: Government agencies can provide resource suggestions and occasionally speakers or out-of-classroom learning opportunities. :: Non-government agencies, like the Federation of Ontario Naturalists and the Canadian Nature Federation, can provide quality materials and provide suggestions for student actions to save the environment. :: Members of COEO (Council of Outdoor Educators of Ontario) can provide you with advice and assistance to help develop a quality outdoor learning experience for your class. COEO also publishes a "Catalogue of Programs and Personnel, Sites and Services in Outdoor Education in Ontario". :: Don't forget to look in your school resource centre or community library. :: And, of course, there is the Internet. Adopt-A-Pond and EcoNet are only a few of the many programs that may provide helpful information. Please check Adopt-A-Pond's site for up-to-date links to a wide range of excellent websites with relating to wetlands, amphibians, and related environmental subjects. WHERE TO LOOK FOR SPECIAL MATERIALS: :: The Green Brick Road, c/o 8 Dumas Court, Don Mills, ON M3A 2N2. (416) 465-1597 Established in 1990 this is an organization of educators and students working for environmental change. Offer excellent resource materials and now have a storefront research library (Danforth St., Toronto) :: Science City, 50 Bloor St. W. Toronto and other locations. (416) 968-2627 Scientific and educational books, toys and speciality items. :: Snails, guppies, and submergent vegetation can be purchased at a pet store or water garden centre. Many garden centres carry materials for water gardens. :: Lawn fertilizer, bean seeds and/or plants and can be purchased at garden centres as well as some hardware and grocery stores. :: A large map of Ontario can be obtained from Ontario government offices. Contact ACCESS ONTARIO at 1-800-268-8758 for further information. :: Sodium bicarbonate, hydrochloric acid, and sodium sulphate can be purchased from a scientific supply house such as: Boreal Laboratories Ltd. Fisher Scientific :: Litmus paper, phenopthalien, methyl orange, and bromthymol blue can be purchased from a scientific supply house. :: Prepared slides of micro-organisms can be obtained from Science City or a scientific supply house. :: A water quality testing kit (Hach kit) can be purchased from many of the larger garden centres or directly from Fryston Canada Incorporated, 1515 Matheson Blvd., Suite B-10, Mississauga, ON L4W 2P5 (416) 629-4421 or 1-800-387-7503 :: Environmental Resource (teacher and community) kits: Terrene Institute Investigating Aquatic Ecosystems (1987), Several of these guides are very broad in scope. Students need to become familiar with what species they should expect to find in their region and they should be reminded to check range maps to prevent misidentification. Amphibians of North America: A Guide to Field Identification (1978). The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles (1979).> Familiar Amphibians and Reptiles of Ontario. (1989). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles. Introduction to Canadian Amphibians and Reptiles (1984). A Natural History of Amphibians (1995). Environmental Issues and Creating Action: There are many excellent resources about environmental issues and it is best to check with a resource libarian or one of the agencies listed here for recent references. The Urban Outback - Wetlands for Wildlife: A Guide to Wetland Restoration and Frog-friendly Backyards. (1995). Yes In My Back Yard A guide to rehabilitating streams. (1992). Restoring Nature's Place. (1996) Listed below are some of the more widely-available articles that relate to this manual. Other sources, such as difficult-to-obtain, professional journals, are not included here although educators may wish to direct more senior students to these resources in places like university, zoo, or museum libraries. Losing Their Spots Michael Klasson, in Nature Canada, Winter, 1991. Frogs in Trouble Kathryn Phillips, in International Wildlife, December, 1990. What's Smaller than a Matchbox and Louder than a Speeding Plane? Alan Linn, in International Wildlife, May/June, 1987. From NFB, either on loan or sale; often available through your local library. Educators should note that these are all older films but they do provide some excellent closeup footage of life in a wetland: Frogs, Snakes and Turtles The Other World A World in Our Backyard: A Wetlands Educational and Stewardship Program The Water's Edge: The Silent Explosion World in a Marsh TVOntario Advances in computer technology, CD-Roms and the internet are moving at an astonishing rate. Check Adopt-A-Pond's Wetland Connections page for up-to-date links and information. Amazing World's Amazing Frogs and Toads, :: Top :: Web design by Lisa Fry Copyright 2013 Adopt-A-Pond - Toronto Zoo All Rights Reserved |