Operation Atelopus

The Project

Recently, the widespread disappearance of amphibians around the planet has received a lot of media attention, but people involved in amphibian conservation have been aware of their mysterious decline for several years. This project was developed with the goal of educating people on the perils facing these animals by documenting a fascinating and beautiful group of tropical amphibians, the harlequin frogs (toads) of Central and South America.

Atelopus are extremely vulnerable to disease and to the pressures placed on them from habitat destruction. Well over half of the species of this group are either endangered or seriously threatened. The films we make try to show these threats (pathogenic fungi, habitat destruction, etc) as well as to give the viewer insight into the lives of these splendid frogs, before they are gone. The style of these films is unique, and reflects our personality and the way we view conservation.

Our goal has been to document with film every remaining species of Atelopus. This has proved to be a difficult endeavor, but knowing that these beautiful animals could be gone as quickly as next season keeps us on task of recording every population we can. We do not want to only know these toads from preserved museum collections. Below are some of the key people involved in Operation Atelopus.

Justin Yeager

Project Leader

Justin Yeager is a 23 year old field biologist. He recently completed his BS degree in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Delaware with the addition of classes from the University of Costa Rica and the Catholic University of Ecuador.

As a child he had an intense interest in all animals, which later magnified into reptiles and amphibians. In the very beginning, at a young age, he became as a hobbyist keeping and breeding Dendrobatid frogs. Eventually, he decided to shift gears and move into the science realm which led him into a profession as a tropical herpetologist with a keen interest in conservation.

In recent years, he has lived in Costa Rica, Peru, and Ecuador, as well as traveling to several bordering countries. He has worked to promote conservation of Atelopus and Dendrobatid species, and recently also completed a documentary on the declines of them in Ecuador. Justin is working to bring awareness to tropical amphibian conservation through these DIY (do-it-yourself) documentaries, lectures, and hands-on conservation projects. He will soon start his graduate studies with the bulk of his current work being in Peru. Justin also works hard on the Executive Committee of a newly created conservation group entitled Tree Walkers International.

George Morrow

Editing and Film

George is a traditionally trained photographer who makes films, a filmmaker that makes animations, and an animator that is in graduate school for design. He got suckered into joining the project after agreeing to come visit Justin in Ecuador in the summer of 2005, which was when he and Justin filmed Operation Ecuadorian Atelopus.

Blort

Technology and Consulting Support

Blort is a micro-business specializing in website and project management support for small businesses and nonprofits. From grounds-up website design to full nonprofit development, Blort is dedicated to conservation efforts worldwide.

You can read more about Blort consulting here.

Tree Walkers International

The Conservation Group

Tree Walkers works to conserve wild Dendrobatid, Atelopus, and other neotropical amphibian populations while promoting sustainable and ethical amphibian husbandry. As a coalition of conservationists, scientists, hobbyists, and breeders, we are an international community dedicated to the preservation and study of these animals. Operation Atelopus is an official working project of TWI.