Jeff Corwin Visits the Ron Clark Academy

 TV’s Jeff Corwin gets Slide Certified while visiting The Ron Clark Academy.

By Ken Sugiura

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Friday, May 08, 2009

The sixth- and seventh-graders at the Ron Clark Academy were introduced to an important figure in the world of animal conservationism.

In town for a conservation nonprofit fund-raiser, Jeff Corwin, who hosts “The Jeff Corwin Experience” on Animal Planet cable network, shared his passion for protecting endangered species with students at the Atlanta school.

Corwin came with a guest from Zoo Atlanta, a Panamanian golden frog, a critically endangered species.

“It was great to see them ask those questions and be on point and know so much,” Corwin said. “You plant a seed and you hope it germinates.”

About 35 of the 60 students in the sixth and seventh grades at the academy came in on what was supposed to be a day off to hear Corwin.

They were treated to his tales of seeing the last of a now-extinct species of honeycreeper, bedding down with an orphaned elephant and his passion for amphibians.

The students listened attentively and raised their hands to talk. One girl wrote down new vocabulary words when Corwin introduced them. They stood up and introduced themselves when asking questions and drilled Corwin for information on the amphibian chytrid fungus, which is associated with the disappearance of many populations of frogs in Central America, Australia and beyond.

“It was pretty awesome, just seeing someone you watch and admire on TV coming to your school and telling you about what he does,” said Osei Avril, a seventh grader.

The students also got a close look at a Panamanian golden frog, whose population has been brought to the edge of extinction by the fungus.

Zoo Atlanta, as well as the Atlanta Botanical Garden, is part of a worldwide captive breeding effort to save endangered amphibian species.

Said Corwin to the students as they peered into the plastic cage, “You are looking at a species that is worth more than gold.”

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