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than 400 words md must include a daytime ne number. name and . flrgnmn-Wmm the to pu or not bush and to edit g: clar- In fact, frogs are disappearing. Many of us can remember drifting OR to sleep to the sound of frogs, but unless we act now, it’s unlikely our children and grandchildren will hear the same lullaby. As much as insects became my fascination, I have always loved the frogs. These amazing amphibians occupy a crucial place in the natu- ral order. They are both predator and prey, providing food for larger species and keeping insect popula- tions in balance by eating them. -If frogs were to disappear, the planet would soon be covered in flies and other insects. I like flies, but not that much. lETTERS POLICY time at a swamp near my family’s home. Smelgng the sweet air in spring, lis- tening to the frogs croak and catchâ€" ing the insects that would become so important to my life and career gave me solace during those lonely years. The Sun-Tribune welcomes your letters. All submluiom must be less By 2030, there will be more than 50,000 residents living in the southeast corner of Whitehurch-Stoufiville, the 15 square kilo- gegres of thefgglgpunity of Stouffville. Re: Fight on to preserve Stoufii/ille grain elevator, Feb. 6. Tell province to maintain elevator I think I’ll'tum off my computer after writingthis letter. Quite frankly, I think they’re beautifiil, having seen them in California and Eng- land. I would happily put a small wind-pow- ered generator in our back yard, but what would the neighbours think? Wmd-powered electricity is, almost free, after the units are installed and running. But some people think that the big fans on the skyline are ugly. Now, we read of resistance to the pro- posed gas-fired electricity plant in York Region. Are these the same people who would be willing to remove air-conditioners and clothes dryers from their homes? A few weeks ago we read in The Sun- Tl'ibune that people don’t want some sort of bio-fuels plant near Stoufl'ville. Are these the same people who will welcome $2-per- litre gasoline? Re: Power plant ’too much’ for this area, council mld, April 19. lETTERS TO THE EDITOR Generator fine in his back yard DO We want it void of: pmnrp tn hmu tho tmnn . ltyandqnce. uring high school in Ontario, I spent a lot of RON BROWNSBERGER STOUFFVILLE 1mm}: MEDIA Mann-using Dawna Andrews jmawnoymgcom Enrmm Editor Iim Mason Biologists consider frogs and other amphibians as “the canary in It is not just fmgs we have to worry about. The more we understand about frogs and the reasons for their dis- appearance and the more we all get involved in trying to save them, the more likely we will be to head off this impending disaster. The motto, “Frogs matter. Jump in” is one we should all take to heart. The situation has become so critical conservationists and insti- tutions including universities, zoos and aquariums have named 2008 the Year of the Frog. This would be the largest mass extinction since the disappearance of dinosaurs. More than 100 spe- cies are already believed to have vanished since 1980. Scientists estimate one-third to one-half of the world's 6,000 known amphibian species could go extinct in our lifetime â€" including many in Canada. Designate it now as an historical land- mark and start knocking on the province’s door to look after this building the way it deserves. Our council is afraid to designate the building because there is the perception they will be on the hook to look after this building. Not so. GO does not need the parking spaces. It will be opening the Bethesda Station this year with more than four hectares of parkâ€" ing. The few spaces that the grain elevator is using are not important. People complain about cats and rats in the building and the possible unsafe state of the site. Call your local MPP, Helena Iaczek. and tell her that this building is important. Why is the town not as'king the province to 190k after its property? This shoula preverft the owher from tear- ing it down. Oh, by the way, the owner is the Proyihce_of_0ntario through GO 'I‘l‘ansit. The town does not need to buy the eleva- tor, nor does it need to spend thousands to fix it up. The town only needs to deem it a historically significant1 building. This little piece of history, if kept and developed with imagination and some will- ing owners, can become a main stay of all that was “country close to the city”. Do we want it void of all historical ref- erence to how the town was established? The grain elevator may be one of the most imgortarit historical points in town. Ann Campbell acumpbelldynng. com ADVERTISING Retail Manager Stacey Allen Sim-'Ii'ibune PUBLISHER Ian Proudfoot 6290 Main St. StoufMIe,0N. MA 167 myonvegonmm MARK CARROLL M USSELMAN ’S LAKE One of the main threats to frogs and amphibians around the world is the spread of a fungus called chy- trid (kit-rid), but other factors that we can start to address immedi- Because they live in both the aqueous and atmospheric part of the planet, frogs are often the first species affected by environmental problems and can thus serve as a warning to other species, including ourselves. the coal mine". Assistant Classified Manager Bonnie Rondeau brondeaufl’yrmg.mm Pnonucnon Mm Leader Sheny Day David Suzuki mac-u How EMBARRASSING.’ ‘fi’a‘u . 4 Irrd§lrd Busnuss MANAGER Robert Lazurko (:Imified: 1-800-743-3353 In an attempt to ensure thé sur- vival of frog species most threat- ened by the fungus, biologists from The fungus has now infected more than 100 species of frogs, kill- ing them in a way that is still bafâ€" fling scientists. The spores infect the outer layer of skin, but scientists have yet to figure out its mecha- nism. Ironically, the fungus is not fatal to the African clawed frog. Chytrid is thought to have been spread initially by trading in the African clawed frog, which was used for pregnancy tests from 1934 to the 19508. Dealing with thé fungus will.be a challenge. > Take David Suzuki's Nature Challenge andleam more at www. davidsuzuki.org ately are also threatening amphib- ians. These include global warm- ing, habitat loss, pesticide use. pol- lution, invasive species, and even overuse as food or pets. Fax DISTRIBUTION 905â€"640-2612 3X ADVERTISING 905â€"640-261 2 EDI TORIA L 905-640-2612 1: 905-640-8778 905-640â€"8778 A York Region Media Group community newspaper The Sun-Tribune. published every Thursday and Saturday. is a division of the Metroiand Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. Metroland is comprised of 100 community publications across Ontario. The York Region Newspaper Group includes The Uberal, sewing Richmond Hill and Thomhill, Vaughan Citizen, The Era-Banner (Newmarket/Aurora), Markham Economist Sun, Georgina Advocate. York Region Business Times, North of the City. yorkregioncom and York Region Printing. Dmcmn, CIRCULATION Svsms Lynn Pashko (SEW-Tribune Those are things we can all work to overcome. Will there even be places left for them to live? And given the crucial role that frogs play in the natural cycle, what will become of those ecosystems while the frogs are away? Global warming is already shifting the areas where species are found. so when it's time to release the frogs, it might not even be realâ€" istic to return them to their former homes. There is no guarantee the scheme will work, but it is worth a try. One of the challenges will be to maintain genetic diversity under such a program. Another big chal- lenge, though, will come when it is time to put the frogs back. Under the program, conser- vationists have started gathering threatened frogs to breed and pro- tect in captivity. zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens, working with the Intema- tional Union for Conservation of Nature, set up the Amphibian Ark.