![]() ![]() ![]() A politician from Delta, British Columbia described the American bullfrog as a “fast-breeding carnivorous frog” (Georgia Strait, 2008) that thrived despite human development. Journalists characterized this species as a “monster”-a voracious predator that could grow to the size of a dinner plate, consume a duckling whole, and drag a small cat into a pond.įigure 1: Drawing of an American bullfrog with a duckling’s feet sticking out of its mouth.Īs an “invasive alien species,” the American bullfrog preyed on native frog species, dominated local ecosystems, and ultimately, threw them out of balance. ![]() ![]() Over time, the American bullfrog reached mythic proportions in the West-in terms of its size, prevalence, and impact on local ecosystems. In the 1930s, entrepreneurs introduced the American bullfrog ( Rana catesbeiana) to western North America to farm them for frog legs-a delicacy in French cuisine-portraying the species as an economic savior. To understand the social construction of nature-a concept political ecologists Noel Castree and Bruce Braun shortened to just “social nature”-consider the myriad ways that humans have, over time, framed the American bullfrog. The American Bullfrog: Economic savior to monster to miracle cure Her research focuses on food policy and food systems governance. Patricia Ballamingie is a professor at Carleton University, cross-appointed in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies and the Institute of Political Economy. Social nature refers to the social lens through which nature is interpreted and thus constructed-through language, imagery, and characterization. ![]()
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