By: Maddie Chartier, 2024-2024 SPARCnet RaMP Mentee
Participating in outreach events is one of my absolute favorite parts of being a scientist, and a great way to get people involved in taking action! Having conversations and making connections with the public is extremely rewarding and provides people with the knowledge to spread conservation efforts. Over the last few years, I volunteered my artistic skill to create activity sheets, informational handouts, and stickers for one of the most exciting outreach events of the year- Amphibian Week!
The benefit of events like this is highlighted when the public takes action, which occurred in a big way after Amphibian Week 2024. Within the months following amphibian week, students from Powell Bilingual Elementary School successfully campaigned to name the red-backed salamander the official salamander of Washington, DC! Congratulations to all the students that made this happen, you should be proud of yourselves for making a difference! Actions like this bring attention to salamanders, which is extremely important at a time when amphibians are facing global declines. It’s also very exciting to see passionate young people get excited about SPARCnet’s main study species!
