Submitted Photo This spotted salamander is one of the important amphibian species in the Chautauqua Region.

JAMESTOWN — At 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14, the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy and Roger Tory Peterson Institute (RTPI) will partner to host an opportunity to learn about amphibian and reptile conservation.

This event will include short talks by representatives from CWC and RTPI about local amphibians and reptiles and conservation strategies for protecting these creatures. The venue, Roger Tory Peterson Institute, is located at 311 Curtis St. in Jamestown. At 2 p.m., a webinar will be shown, presented by the United States Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation Society about federal efforts to conserve and manage amphibians and reptiles.

The USDA-NRCS provided the following summary of their webinar:

Reptiles and amphibians (“herps”) are an important wildlife group with many species in decline as a result of habitat loss and degradation. The NRCS is represented on Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC)’s Federal Agencies Steering Committee which seeks to promote the conservation of herps. For example, two of seven focal species for the NRCS’ Working Lands for Wildlife initiative are reptiles. The objective of this webinar is to improve awareness of herps and provide training that will allow participants to more effectively plan and implement conservation measures to benefit them. The webinar will describe the basic natural history of herps, Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation species and habitat goals, important conservation areas, role of private lands in herp conservation, and examples of effective planning and management for herps. Additional resources will be identified to facilitate planning and management for herps.

This learning opportunity is free and open to the public. The program will last approximately an hour and a half. Light snacks will be provided for attendees.

For more information on this event or the CWC, visit chautauquawatershed.org, email jen@chautauqua watershed.org or call 664-2166.