NW PARC 2017 Annual Meeting: Top Amphibian Research and Conservation Priorities

The 10th Annual NW PARC Meeting was held in Arcata, California, on March 1, 2017, in conjunction with the annual meetings of the Society for Northwestern Vertebrate Biology (SNVB) and the California North Coast Chapter of The Wildlife Society.

Amphibian experts from across the region convened in Arcata, California, to share their expertise and their Top Amphibian Research and Conservation Priorities at the 10th annual NW PARC annual meeting. A list of all the priorities they identified would be dozens of items long, and organizer Deanna Olson hopes to summarize the results in a journal publication. Diseases, climate change, introduced predators, a need to better understand species declines, and habitat protection were common themes of the day.

However, the lively general discussion among a broad range of the audience and the presenters focused most on communication and outreach. How do we tell the stories of these amazing animals and translate our understanding of how they live and contribute to ecosystem function-in ways that will motivate people to care about their conservation? How do we step out of our comfort zones to build relationships intentionally and opportunistically with a wide array of people? As we think ahead to next year's meeting, communication may be one theme we address.