One of the by-products of the Covid-19 pandemic was much lower levels of human activity related to lockdowns enforced in many countries to reduce the spread of the disease. This decrease in human activity has been named the “anthropause”.
The Rough Moss Frog is a Critically Endangered frog species found only on a single mountain range, the Klein Swartberg, in the Overberg district of the Western Cape, South Africa. In 2020 we realized that this little frog was in big trouble.
To support secondary schools in Kutama, we developed educational resources on women’s health and hygiene and held focus group discussions with 440 girls from grades 8-11 in two secondary schools in collaboration with their Life Orientation educators.
The Vervet Monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) has adapted to thrive in human-altered landscapes. However, this also means they face many risks from humans and their activities.
While Leap Day for Frogs does highlight the threats to these creatures, it also celebrates them and creates an appreciation for them, which is the first step towards recognising their importance.
As in other parts of the world, immediate responses to the pandemic have been to focus on containing the virus, addressing the immediate health crisis, and limiting economic fallout. But a large part of the conversation has also been about the pandemic, which represents an opportunity to shift our economic models onto a greener and more inclusive trajectory.