Mission statement
In the 21st century, the confluence of global warming, habitat loss, invasive species, and disease has caused a rapid decline in biodiversity. Unfortunately, reptiles and amphibians often get overlooked in conservation efforts that predominantly prioritize large charismatic megafauna. That is why Herpetological Conservation International (HCI) was established in 2015 as a registered 501c3 non-profit organization. Its goal is to preserve reptiles and amphibians through a comprehensive approach that includes research funding, community engagement, public outreach, and habitat preservation. HCI’s unique operations model of no paid staff and no board member compensation ensures that 100% of donations go directly to conservation efforts, maximizing impact and transparency.......
HCI is a registered charitable 501(c)3 organization.
Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law in your country.
HCI is a registered charitable 501(c)3 organization.
Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law in your country.
OUR COMMITMENT
TransparenCYHCI is committed to maximum transparency. As such we report budgets to our members, are open book with fundraising goals, and report our tax and other financial information to two separate watchdog organizations: Guide Star and Great Non-Profits.
|
EFFICIENCY HCI Board and Team Members receive no salary or financial benefits. We are an all volunteer organization comprised of working professionals who generously donate their time in order to keep our overhead expenses at less than 10% of our total budget, typically coming in below 2%.
Be sure to like us on facebook for all the latest HCI News. |
Tangible ConservationWhen it comes time to use the funds generously donated by individuals, businesses, or organizations, HCI's highest priority is real world impact. As a 501c3 our funds are only used for projects involving our mission statement, conserving the world's reptiles and amphibians.
|
HCI NEWS & UPDATES
|
|
CARE PROJECT
DISTRIBUTORS WANTED Do you know of a private land holding, reserve, ecolodge or other non-governmental reserve, located in a region known to have chytrid that could benefit from these entirely free materials and related internet resources?
If so please contact info@herpconservation.org so we can reach out and get these important materials into as many hands as possible! |
Michael Dee Grant recipeints AnnouncmentS
2023 WINNER: Gabrielle Ripa
|
|
Congratulations to Michael Dee Grant Recipient Gabrielle Ripa, a PhD student at Virginia Tech whose work entitled, "Stream restoration and non-native plant invasion effects on anuran community composition and calling density" stood out to the HCI board of directors for its wide-reaching impact. Her study will examine the impacts of non-native plants on stream-adjacent amphibian communities, and the findings could be very impactful on future stream restoration projects.
Stream restoration is increasingly important to conservation today as climate change, urbanization, invasive species, and pollution have put these unique biomes at threat on a global level. However, due to a variety of factors, many restoration projects can inadvertently result in an increase in invasive and non-native plants. Gabriella's study is the first to look at multiple invasive plant species and their impact on the anuran community as a whole. The results of this study could help guide future stream restoration projects around the world.
Stream restoration is increasingly important to conservation today as climate change, urbanization, invasive species, and pollution have put these unique biomes at threat on a global level. However, due to a variety of factors, many restoration projects can inadvertently result in an increase in invasive and non-native plants. Gabriella's study is the first to look at multiple invasive plant species and their impact on the anuran community as a whole. The results of this study could help guide future stream restoration projects around the world.
2023 WINNER: Eli Bieri
|
|
Congratulations to Eli Bieri, a Ph.D. student at The University of New South Wales. The board has selected his work, "Frogs, Fires, & Fungus: Interacting Threats to Biodiversity in a Changing World," as our second Michael Dee Grant recipient.
About the project: Climate change is causing longer and more intense droughts, leading to severe wildfires like the ones seen in Australia in 2019, but what impact these fires have on pathogens like Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis(Bd) is understudied. Frogs in eastern Australia, affected by recent mega-fires and disease-driven declines, offer a valuable opportunity to study the interaction between bushfires and disease. While some studies have been conducted on the short-term impacts of extreme weather events, few have looked at the long-term impact these events have on disease outcomes. Understanding these dynamics is crucial as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe. By combining citizen science with traditional methods, Eli and his associates will assess how bushfires directly affect frogs and whether disease threats are worsened or mitigated in burnt areas.
About the project: Climate change is causing longer and more intense droughts, leading to severe wildfires like the ones seen in Australia in 2019, but what impact these fires have on pathogens like Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis(Bd) is understudied. Frogs in eastern Australia, affected by recent mega-fires and disease-driven declines, offer a valuable opportunity to study the interaction between bushfires and disease. While some studies have been conducted on the short-term impacts of extreme weather events, few have looked at the long-term impact these events have on disease outcomes. Understanding these dynamics is crucial as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe. By combining citizen science with traditional methods, Eli and his associates will assess how bushfires directly affect frogs and whether disease threats are worsened or mitigated in burnt areas.
MEMBERS EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS
HCI members are the engine that power our conservation efforts. As a thank you, members receive discounts at a number of various vendors. Here are some of the newest additions offering 10% off to current HCI explorer members. To sign up click here.
|
|
|
|
We fund educational programs around the world. If there is one you think we should look into, shoot us an email! |
THANKS TO OUR BUSINESS SPONSORS. WITHOUT YOU NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE!
Want to see your business listed here?
Contact us, let's talk!
