A frog of the genus Leptopelis, native to Sub-Saharan Africa. 

Josh's Frogs awarded a 2025 Amphibian Conservation Grant to Uganda-based nonprofit Endangered Wildlife Conservation Organization (EWCO) for their project Building Uganda's First Citizen Science Platform for Amphibian Conservation. To learn more about this project, we did a virtual interview with wildlife veterinarian, conservationist, and EWCO CEO Dr. James Watuwa.

How specifically do you plan to use the grant money? The grant will help us customize and launch the Herp-Mapper Uganda platform, train community monitors, and buy basic field equipment like smartphones and power banks to support amphibian data collection.

What does winning this grant allow you to do that you might not have otherwise? It allows us to finally build Uganda’s first citizen-science platform for amphibians and reptiles something we could not afford without this support.

When do you expect to see results from this? What are you hoping they look like? We expect visible results within the first 6 months as submissions start coming in. We hope to see more species records, better mapping of threatened amphibians, and strong community involvement.

How will this project impact amphibian conservation? It will generate real-time distribution data, identify threatened populations, guide conservation planning, and raise national awareness for frogs and other herps.

Dr. James Watuwa stands atop a bushcraft bridge for a photo with his team.

What are the larger implications of your work? This project will build a long-term national database, strengthen community participation in conservation, and support Uganda’s integration into global amphibian monitoring efforts.

What message or information would you like to share with the reptile and amphibian pet community? Pet lovers can play a huge role sharing knowledge, supporting ethical conservation work, and helping raise awareness that wild amphibians need our protection now more than ever.

How would someone make a donation to your organization? Donations can be made directly through our website at ewco.org.ug or by contacting us via [email protected].

Where could someone learn more about your project? More information is available on our website ewco.org.ug and on our Conservation Optimism profile. We also share updates through EWCO’s social media pages.

Anything else you want to share? We are grateful for this support. Uganda’s amphibians are disappearing quietly, and this project gives us a real chance to protect them before it’s too late.

Dr. James Watuwa (left) and forest ranger Godfrey (right) conducting a biodiversity survey.