{"id":138,"date":"2025-08-31T21:43:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-31T21:43:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/westernamphibian.org\/?page_id=138"},"modified":"2025-10-21T17:17:32","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T17:17:32","slug":"about-us","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/westernamphibian.org\/?page_id=138","title":{"rendered":"About Us"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\n
\n

Meet our team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our society is led by a dedicated group of volunteers and board members who share a love for amphibians and a commitment to their future. From hobbyists and educators to conservationists, our team brings a unique blend of expertise and passion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Bonnie Person<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

President<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Esmeralda Lueras<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Treasurer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

Jennifer Tuttle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secretary<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

Dillion Spencer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Board Member<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

Ryan Saquic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project Manager<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Dillon Nelson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Board Member<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Aaron Williams<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Board Member<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

Andy Turnbull<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Founding Member<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

Arman Villanueva<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Founding Member<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

Eric Malolepsy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Founding Member<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Mission<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n

The Western Amphibian & Terrarium Society (WATS) is a nonprofit dedicated to celebrating and protecting amphibians while promoting responsible terrarium keeping. We bring together hobbyists, conservationists, and educators to build a vibrant community that supports both the joy of keeping amphibians and the urgent need to conserve them in the wild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Story<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Western Amphibian was founded by a group of passionate frog and terrarium enthusiasts who recognized the growing need for education, conservation, and community connection. What began as a small circle of hobbyists has grown into a regional society hosting shows, field trips, and large-scale events like American Frog Day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

About us<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

What We Do<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We focus our efforts in four main areas: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conservation \u2013 Partnering with organizations like WIKIRI in Ecuador and supporting local projects such as Mountain Yellow-Legged Frog recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education \u2013 Hosting workshops, lectures, and behind-the-scenes tours to teach proper amphibian care and highlight their ecological importance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community \u2013 Creating a welcoming space for terrarium hobbyists, breeders, and conservationists to connect, learn, and share experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Events \u2013 Organizing gatherings that inspire and engage, from local meetups and swaps, to our twice a year frog shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meet our team Our society is led by a dedicated group of volunteers and board members who share a love for amphibians and a commitment to their future. From hobbyists and educators to conservationists, our team brings a unique blend of expertise and passion. Bonnie Person President Esmeralda Lueras Treasurer Jennifer Tuttle Secretary Dillion Spencer […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-138","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/westernamphibian.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/138","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/westernamphibian.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/westernamphibian.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westernamphibian.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/westernamphibian.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=138"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/westernamphibian.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/138\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":296,"href":"https:\/\/westernamphibian.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/138\/revisions\/296"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/westernamphibian.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=138"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}