Join Brandon Ballengée on his research field-trips
Artist and biologist Brandon Ballengée is back in Quebec for the second season of study of our native frogs. Join Brandon on his research field-trips ‘Eco-Actions’ from August 16th to 21st. Spaces are limited and first come first saved. Brandon is currently an artist in residence at SAT and visiting scientist at McGill University.
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Artist and biologist Brandon Ballengée is here in Québec for the second season of study of our native frogs. Join Brandon on one his research field-trips ‘Eco-Actions’ from August 16th to 21st. Spaces are limited and first come first saved. Brandon is currently an artist in residence at SAT and visiting scientist at McGill University.
To sign up, please contact Brandon directly at :
brandon.ballengee @ gmail.com
Research Plan
This proposed research will be the second season of study to determine the ratio of limb deformities and injury among wild anurans at selected Southern Quebec wetlands. Analyzed at varied stages of development (adult, juvenile, metamorphic, peri-metamorphic, mid-stage tadpole and early stage tadpoles) this seasons research will help us towards a better understanding of both the origin of specific types of limb abnormalities as well as shed light onto the frequency of non-lethal predator induced injury among larval amphibians.
Field days average 8-10 hours and begin at 9am in Brossard (you must be bale to get yourself to Brossard to participate). You will need boots, lunch and plenty of water. Organic insect repellent (NO DEET!!!) and sunscreen are good to bring. Please bring your own camera and any drawing materials you would like to make field observations an frog portraits.
Photos : Brandon Ballemngée, Montréal, 2010
Rationale
Hind-limb deformities (sometimes called “malformations”) in natural populations of amphibians have been an important environmental issue for more than a decade. The most commonly reported abnormalities in North America (and Quebec) are those featuring missing, partial and truncated hind limbs and only recently have predators been identified as a proximate cause. In 2009 we examined 4,866 total anurans (frogs and toads) representing 8 species of varied age-classes for injuries and deformities from natural populations at selected wetlands in Southern Quebec.
Of these, seven wetlands were found to be deformed amphibian ‘hotspots’ with abnormality ratios exceeding 5% (as high as 16.92% of young frogs at one residential wetland). Although, predatory injury can be an explanation for such deformities, further research is needed to understand if incidence and extent is influenced by environmental factors and has increased in recent decades. The potential role that agricultural practices and an emerging parasitic disease may play in anuran deformities locally will be addressed.
Research Proposal : The Occurrence of deformed amphibians at selected localities in Southern Quebec”* June-August 2010
Brandon Ballengée
Artist and Biologist
Candidate for Ph.D.
University of Plymouth, England
in collaboration with Z_Node
Zurich University for the Arts, Switzerland
Artist in Residence, summer 2010
Parco Arte Vivente (PAV)
Centro sperimentale d’arte contemporanea
Torino, Italy
www.parcoartevivente.it
Artist in Residence, summer 2010
Sculpture in the Parklands
Lough Boora Parklands
Co. Offaly, Ireland
www.sculptureintheparklands.com
Visiting Scientist, 2009/10
Green Laboratory, Redpath Museum
McGill University
Montréal, Quebec, Canada
www.mcgill.ca/redpath/
Residency artist, 2009/2010/2011
research and creation residency program
Society for Art and Technology
(SAT), Montreal, Canada
www.sat.qc.ca
Previous news about the bio-art lab
- Everything you always wanted to know about frogs and toads…
- Put on your boots! Get set! Go!
- It’s raining…what a good day for frogs!
