Now in its fourth year, TCU’s Lead On campaign is turning the spotlight on Horned Frogs who are contributing to the greater good. And what’s better than Horned Frogs helping to save tiny horned frogs from extinction?
In five minutes, the latest Lead On video details the collaboration of TCU conservation geneticist Dean Williams, Ph.D., the Fort Worth Zoo and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to breed Texas horned lizards in captivity and then successfully reintroduce them into the wild. First featured in the Fall 2020 issue of TCU Magazine, it’s a conservation story that shows the heart as well as the academic excellence of the TCU community.
“I think a major way that universities like TCU can help with conversation efforts is that we can provide very detailed expertise in certain areas that may not be present in other organizations that are working to conserve animals,” says Williams, a professor of biology in the College of Science & Engineering, in the video.
Williams has been conducting statewide genetics studies on horned lizards. His research helps determine which lizards to breed together and the regions for which the hatchlings are best adapted for release.
“TCU is responsible for the genetic component, and the Fort Worth Zoo did the breeding and raised the hatchlings, and then Texas Parks and Wildlife has the property down in Mason, Texas, where the horned frogs are released,” said Kris Copeland, creative director of TCU Marketing & Communication, and visionary behind the video.
For the Greater Good
“Going into our fourth year of the Lead On campaign, we wanted to tell specific stories of leaders in the TCU community doing
work for the greater good. ‘For the greater good’ resonates with audiences even more
this year, given that we’re all dealing with issues that affect us as a campus community
and that affect the whole world,” Copeland added. “For the videos, we picked stories
that were diverse, that came from unique voices and represent our different colleges.”
Part of TCU’s main institutional ad campaign for the year, Lead On stories support the integrated marketing and communication strategy to achieve Vision in Action goal no. 1 of strengthening TCU’s academic profile and reputation. The campaign targets the general public and peer institutions, among other strategic audiences. “We’re not a big school but we’re doing some incredible work and we want to tell those unique stories,” Copeland said.
When the team chose Williams and the horned lizard project as their first greater good video story, timing was perfect.
“They were doing a horned frog reintroduction just a couple of weeks later. We were able to get to Mason Mountain down in Central Texas to actually watch the release and get it filmed,” Copeland said.
For the video, the team spent time in the lab with Williams and his researchers, conducted an interview with the curator of ectotherms at the Fort Worth Zoo, where the lizards are bred and raised, and then traveled to the Mason Mountain Wildlife Management Area in the Texas Hill Country to film the release in August.
“As beautiful as our campus is, filming the team at work in an amazing part of Texas was a fun thing — especially seeing people’s eyes light up when they saw the hatchlings,” Copeland said. “These horned frogs are amazing creatures and to see the little miniature versions of them was pretty adorable. They were definitely the stars of the show.”