Ardmore Bros Earn National Honor For Conservation Efforts

ARDMORE, PA – Two Ardmore brothers with a passion for conservation recently earned national recognition for their work to promote awareness about toads and frogs.

Devin and Roldan Kramer of Ardmore won a President's Environmental Youth Award from the Environmental Protection Agency recently.

The brothers’ interest was sparked by discussions about the number of mosquitoes in their area, and the
decline of predators like bats, frogs, and toads, which feed on mosquitoes.

Their project, Save the Frogs and Toads, earned them the award for the EPA's Region 3.

The brothers learned that each April, the swimming pool at their local park drains the water and ends up killing tadpoles living in the pool before they can mature, according to the EPA.

To increase the population of native frogs and toads, the Kramer brothers took approximately 2,000 tadpoles from the pool in April and raised them to the frog and toad stage.

They monitored an aquarium with a filtration system and collected fruit flies from a compost bin to feed the growing frogs and toads. The brothers then released them into their native habitats in July and August.

Over the course of their project, the brothers observed their aquarium closely, protected the tadpoles from predators, and transferred the tadpoles to a larger aquarium as they grew legs.

To raise awareness about their project, the brothers distributed informational cards to a troop of Cub Scouts about designing effective pools for tadpole growth and also engaged the troop members
in educational games about frogs and toads, according to the EPA.

At their church’s national reunion at Deer Park, the brothers presented their project to children from around the country, inviting them to watch the release of the mature frogs and toads. As a result of their project, Devin and Roldan have observed not only an increase in frog and toad populations, but improvement in the overall ecosystem, with a decrease in the number of mosquitoes and a growing number of native animals, such as snakes, fish, and birds.

Congratulations and great job Devin and Roldan Kramer!

Image via Environmental Protection Agency