1 Aug 03

My name is Brent Brock and I have kept a very small collection of 5 species of darts since around 1995 or 96 when I joined frognet. I've kept herps for around 35 years but for these past 6 or 7 years I've focused on the darts. I am NOT one of the experts. Five species and six years will not get a person to that level. I will admit to having expertise in ecology though which is what I have done professionally for closing in on 20 years. Until recently I was a bison grazing ecologist studying bison grazing patterns on the Kansas prairies. Recently I moved to Montana and work for the Wildlife Conservation Society as a landscape ecologist. The main thrust of my job involves using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to model wildlife habitats for a diverse suite of species from grizzly bears to Columbian spotted frogs for a conservation project in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Yes, it IS as fun as it sounds and it certainly beats working. I've also been married for about 18 years- no kids- one dog - a cat I don't claim - and the frogs. Elizabeth is fantastic and also enjoys the frogs but does not get involved unless she is called to duty when I'm on business travel or to help wrangle a rogue froglet. Oh yeah, and starting Sunday we begin construction on our dream house in the mountains and the plumbers were most fascinated with this "frog room" they saw on the plans.

I am intrigued by the intersection of ecological theory and vivarium systems - particularly as applied to dart frogs. I think maybe the best thing that I offer to frognet is the ability to describe frog vivaria as functioning ecosystems. Of course some people wish I would just shut the H up about such things. My other contribution to the hobby is that I am the inventor of the Bug Bazooka which I will admit some satisfaction with doing so. Other than that, I am a nobody in this hobby and there are people who have been in the hobby half as long that know twice as much about the frogs themselves. I never really considered myself one of the "old timers" on frognet until recently. There are frognetters that have been around longer than me but only a few speak up much anymore so I guess that makes me one of the older loud mouths on the list. I suppose this gives me some historical context for the list but it does not reach back to the very beginning of frognet which was a very interesting time judging from the archives that have since been lost. The best thing about being on frognet for awhile is that I can sound like I know more than I do by regurgitating things that the real pros have shared in the past. I hope everyone on the list appreciates how much we owe those people either no longer on the list or lurking in the shadows because they are the ones who sacrificed and discovered the techniques we so casually take for granted.

I guess that's enough about me. I know this isn't as personal as John's reintro so I will also share that I do generally prefer briefs over boxers. What? Too much....?

Brent



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