Conserving a Little-Known Threatened Amphibian Through a Crowdfunded Art Exhibition

Funding for conservation research is limited and often biased towards charismatic and highly threatened megafauna. Funding agencies are less likely to support research projects focusing solely on herpetofauna that are relatively unknown to the public. Roadkill is a serious threat to the Hong Kong newt (Paramesotriton hongkongensis), which is named after the city where it was first discovered but remained relatively unknown to its seven million human inhabitants. To raise awareness about this species and raise funds for its conservation, we organized a crowd-funded, single-species art exhibition that showcased various aspects of the Hong Kong newt through high-quality arts in various formats, including photography, videography, scientific illustration, and installation art. In a relatively short time, we managed to crowdsource the funds (> US$40,000) needed to host the exhibition and conduct systematic research on the roadkill issue threatening this species. In this presentation, we will share the lessons learned in crowdfunding the exhibition, present findings from the roadkill survey led by citizen scientists, and reflect on the impact of this project on the conservation of a lesserknown but nonetheless important local fauna.