The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Byrnes supports spring peeper
Students push to have amphibian added to list of state symbols
By Alana West, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: March 22, 2007
When Rep. Pam Byrnes visited Klager Elementary School Friday, teachers and students jumped at the chance to talk about government and how to make a difference.
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Byrnes said she usually offers her time to visit classrooms during March Is Reading Month. Her third March visit to the school found her reading to several classes of students and talking to them about important rights, such as their right to vote.
She also listened to a presentation to name a state amphibian, along with a candidate for that title, a frog called the spring peeper, from teacher Ron Tindall's fourth-grade class. They have dubbed themselves "Peeper's Army."
"I'm here to learn," Byrnes told them, as Tindall led the class discussion.
Students told Byrnes that other state animals and plants have been named by the state Legislature, including a state mammal (white-tailed deer), state bird, (robin) state tree (white pine) and state flower (apple blossom).
"We have been learning in social studies why state symbols are important," Tindall said.
Hannah Sucha told her class that symbols helped citizens become more involved in their state. Other students said that it helped the people of each state feel more unique.
The students also talked about the characteristics of amphibians, from their thin skins to their three-chambered hearts, comparing them to reptiles, which have scaly skins and four-chambered hearts.
Tindall told Byrnes that the students wanted to make sure that there was no confusion between reptiles and amphibians, which share the same habitat. They also wanted to name an amphibian that lived throughout Michigan.
A class vote chose the spring peeper over the mud puppy, a salamander that is also prevalent across Michigan. The peeper is identified by a dark brown "X" on its back and a flutelike call in the spring.
"I think I can persuade (the House) to accept this," said Byrnes, describing the process to name the spring peeper as the state amphibian.
She said she would take the request back to her staff, and request that they prepare a bill based on the request.
"They will have to investigate to make sure there is no conflicting law," she said.
The next step would find her presenting the bill to the House, and asking representatives to sponsor it. Once they were persuaded that the bill was necessary, the full House would be asked to support it.
"I hope to move this forward," Byrnes said.
Tindall said that the timing was good for the request. Elections were over last fall, and Byrnes was already planning to visit the school.
"I've been trying to do this for the last nine years… It is all coming together," said Tindall. "It was the right time."
Two other Michigan schools have already set precedent for the Manchester students' request to name a state amphibian.
On June 11, 1997, a bill signed by then-Gov. John Engler named the white tail deer as the state mammal, per a request made by students at Bocolo Christian School in Grand Rapids. In 1995, students at Brandywine Elementary School were granted their request to name the painted turtle as the state reptile.
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