Liquid Spark, Inc. and the Amphibian Survival Alliance (ASA) have teamed up under 1% for the Planet to increase frontline support for amphibians and their habitats worldwide. The driving force behind ASA’s newest partnership with 1% for the Planet business member Liquid Spark is the connection between amphibian conservation and watershed and water resource protection. The ASA’s approach to amphibian conservation not only has a direct link to conserving some of the most biologically diverse and critical areas in the world , but also has additional benefits for safeguarding an array of ecosystem services for people.
It’s these benefits that make ASA a natural partner for Liquid Spark. Liquid Spark is a strategic marketing agency for the outdoor adventure industry based in Bryson City, North Carolina. Their mission is to create practical marketing that inspires adventure, action, and stewardship of people, place, and planet. They are avid outdoor enthusiasts and advocates for adventure-based recreation that supports and protects sustainable communities, wilderness areas and watersheds for current and future generations. Liquid Spark’s President & Founder is also an AdventureEDU Educator for the Adventure Travel & Trade Association, helping to train adventure operators, tourism agencies, and government organizations in emerging destinations in effective adventure marketing.
“Apart from their ecological importance, amphibian species such as frogs and salamanders are woven through our cultural fabric the world over. They represent the diverse natural world of beauty and wonder we enjoy,” says James Lewis, Director of Operations for the Amphibian Survival Alliance.
Despite the importance of amphibians and the places they are found, almost half of the world’s 7,000 amphibian species are in decline, and this is set to rise as the destruction of their habitats continue. The ASA is the largest partnership in the world working to save amphibian species in the wild. Success to date has been dependent on the partners that make up the ASA.
By joining the ASA as a Strategic Partner, Liquid Spark’s 1% donation will support international amphibian conservation efforts as well as create seed grants for amphibian and habitat conservation work near Liquid Spark’s home in the Great Smoky Mountains. This region is a Hot Spot for salamanders where almost half of the salamander species in North America are found. ASA seed grants are a powerful mechanism for kick-starting research and conservation programs that often develop into larger or longer-term projects.
“It is really important to us to be part of the solution for protecting the environment and educating people about the critical dependencies between ecosystem health and humans’ health. ASA is a proven leader in protecting amphibian habitat and watersheds that can double the impact of our 1% for the Planet donation all while enabling us to target local environmental projects to protect rare salamander species in our own backyard of the Great Smoky Mountains,” says Julie Thorner, President and Founder of Liquid Spark.
Liquid Spark serves for profit adventure companies and offers discounted agency services to a select group of non-profit organizations that align with the Liquid Spark mission. Liquid Spark’s marketing and media services include Strategic Marketing, Search Marketing, Email Marketing, Print & Graphic Design, Social PR, and Education & Training.
Internationally, ASA also administers a million dollar fund for habitat protection called the Leapfrog Conservation Fund. Over 800 threatened amphibian species are afforded no protection at all since they are found solely outside protected areas. The fund harnesses a rare opportunity for conservation. Many of these species live within very restricted geographic ranges or even within a single locality. Entire species can be safeguarded through the strategic protection of core habitat.
By protecting key habitats and empowering local communities, entire species can be saved from impending extinction with relatively modest and focused investments. Through this fund, the ASA provides the financial support necessary to allow local organizations to purchase and manage these critical lands.
The new partnership between Liquid Spark and the Amphibian Survival Alliance will have a meaningful impact on amphibian conservation in the U.S. and abroad.
Liquid Spark’s President & Founder is also an AdventureEDU Educator for the Adventure Travel & Trade Association, helping to educate adventure operators, tourism agencies, and local, regional, and national government organizations around the world about how to do effective adventure marketing.
