FCAS Presents
JJ Audubon
"My drawings at first were made altogether in watercolors, but they wanted softness and a great deal of finish."
J. J. Audubon, engraved by H. B. Hall, based on a painting by Henry Inman. Engraving from The Life of John James Audubon, the Naturalist, edited by his widow. New York: G. P. Putnams' Sons, 1894.
From Tadpoles to Egg Masses:
A Boreal Toad Reintroduction Success Story in Larimer County
presented by
F. Boyd Wright
Native Aquatic Species Biologist
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
Thursday, April 12th, 2018
Fort Collins Senior Center, 1200 Raintree Dr.
Social Time: 7 p.m.; Program 7:20 p.m.
Over the past several decades the boreal toad, a long-lived montane amphibian, has declined drastically in distribution and abundance across the southeastern portion of it's native range in the southern Rocky Mountains. This decline is chiefly linked to the spread of a chytrid fungus, which has been linked to declines of certain amphibian species globally. Unfortunately, the few attempts to establish boreal toad breeding populations through translocation (introduction of individuals into suitable breeding habitat where the species is not currently found), have been met with little success. One exception is a translocation site in a small wetland in Larimer County, near Cameron Pass, where biologists first began introducing boreal toad tadpoles in 2006. A robust adult population of boreal toads now breeds annually at this site and has expanded to utilize nearby aquatic habitats for breeding. Successful translocation projects such as this one may play a critical role in the long term persistence of boreal toads in the face of chytrid fungus.
Boyd Wright was born in Houston, TX, and moved to Colorado at the age of 12. Boyd's fascination of water and all the creatures that lurk therein was transferred to a formal education in aquatic ecology, earning a B.S. Degree in Fishery Biology from Colorado State University (CSU) in 2005. In 2007, Boyd joined the Colorado Division of Wildlife full time as the Aquatic Biologist for the White and Yampa River basins, based out of Meeker, CO, where he managed sportfish populations, conducted native cutthroat trout conservation projects, and assisted in the the recovery of Endangered fishes of the Upper Colorado River Basin. Boyd transferred to his current position with Colorado Parks and Wildlife as Native Aquatic Species Biologist for the Platte Basin in 2011. In his current position, he is responsible for advancing conservation priorities for native greenback trout, boreal toads, and non-game native fishes of the eastern plains. 