Long time no blog. Where has Kim Wagner been? Well, I've been busy frog wrangling at the Bronx Zoo! I was just hired to create and install 30 orange frogs of various sizes for the new "Amazing Amphibian" exhibit in the historical Zoo Center building. The frogs were made by cutting, gluing and heat bending Sintra plus many coats of orange paint. They were hung through the dome's 12 oculi and required two men up inside the dome fighting off pigeons and two on the ground with walkie talkies. The exhibit was created to address the threats to amphibians. Close to half of all amphibian species are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, pollution, global warming, food use, introduced species, collection for the pet trade and amphibian chytrid fungus.
Featured amphibians are the Anderson's Newt, Puerto Rican Crested Toad, Mudpuppy, Green Poison Frog, Red-Eyed Tree Frog, Clown Tree Frog, Hourglass Tree Frog, Chacoan Horned Frog, Smooth-Sided Toad, and the Waxy Monkey Frog.
Although the exhibit focuses on the amphibian crisis, it ends with a message of hope by highlighting ways you can help save amphibians.
