It’s kind of hard to believe that many species of frogs could be wiped out by 2050.

In the last place we lived in, there were hundreds of them happily living in our blackwater treatment system. This is always the problem with extinctions caused by man – we see so much of something we believe it couldn’t possibly ever disappear; such as the case of the Passenger Pigeon.

But when Sir David Attenborough talks, I certainly listen.

Sir David Attenborough has joined scientists in raising the alarm that half of Europe’s amphibian species could be extinct in just 40 years from now due to a convergence of crises –  climate change, pollution, disease, habitat loss and degradation. It’s the same sort of story in other countries as well.

Even those species that survive will suffer a decline in numbers and distribution..

Frogs are quite sensitive creatures and act as coal mine canaries in aquatic environments. If something is out of whack, they just disappear – and quickly.

Their presence in our blackwater recycling system acted as an indicator to me that all was well within. When frogs disappear, other species disappear along with them as frogs and tadpoles form an important part of the diet of many other animals.

You can learn more about the crisis facing Europe’s amphibians here. There are some things we can do to help alleviate the plight of amphibians. While we can’t single-handedly stop climate change, lessing our personal carbon footprint is certainly a step in the right direction – and that’s just down to consuming less of everything and ensuring what we do buy is as green as possible. Another action we can all take is to play our part in  caring for our waterways – pick up some tips.