Kevin Ryan, Ph.D., Maine’s Amphibian and Reptile Biologist, will lead an online presentation via Teams called, Ecology and Conservation of Maine Amphibians, hosted by Merryspring Nature Center on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 12 p.m.  

Ryan will present an overview of the ecology and conservation of Maine’s 18 amphibian species. The talk will begin with a tour through the major ecological groups—such as vernal pool amphibians, stream salamanders, forest salamanders, aquatic species, treefrogs, and habitat generalists—highlighting each group’s life history, seasonal movements, and habitat needs. 

The second half of the program will shift to conservation, exploring the key challenges facing these species across Maine’s landscapes and the strategies used to protect them, from vernal pool management and road-crossing mitigation to water-quality protection and wetland conservation.

Ryan earned his Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine, where his research focused on the ecology and conservation of New England’s two rarest amphibians: the pure-diploid blue-spotted salamander (Ambystoma laterale) and the eastern spadefoot toad (Scaphiopus holbrookii). Prior to graduate school, he worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Metropolitan Conservation Alliance as a Program Officer, serving as a field herpetologist and office manager 

This talk is part of Merryspring’s Online Winter Talk series, generously sponsored by Camden Riverhouse Hotel. 

If you prefer to watch as Merryspring broadcasts live on the big screen in the conference room at Merryspring Nature Center, 30 Conway Road in Camden, please plan to arrive before 12 p.m., to avoid noise interference during recording. 

Thanks to the generosity of the Cascade Foundation, the talks will also be recorded for future viewing on Merryspring's YouTube channel.  

Join Merryspring each week at noon from January through April for the Winter & Spring Tuesday Talk series. The link to the online talks can also be found on the Merryspring website homepage and in each event on the calendar, or you may request the link by sending an email to info@merryspring.org.  

Merryspring is your community nature center offering walking trails, cultivated gardens, wildlife, and ecology and horticulture educational programs all year round. The park is located at the end of Conway Road, just off of Route 1 in Camden behind Hannaford Shopping Plaza. For more information on this program, please contact info@merryspring.org or call 207-236-2239.