![\"Frog](\"https:\/\/ciorg.imgix.net\/images\/default-source\/default-album\/ci_47515403?&auto=compress&auto=format&fit=crop?&auto=compress&auto=format&w=800\")
Trond Larsen\u2019s \u201cfamous\u201d closeup of a species of frog, Mantella baroni<\/em>, in Madagascar. (\u00a9 Trond Larsen)<\/h6>\nEveryone has a hobby. Trond Larsen\u2019s is photography.<\/p>\n
As the Rapid Assessment Program director at Conservation International, Larsen spends his days organizing international teams of scientists to find and document wildlife in far-flung locales. His camera goes with him to the wild, and his photos \u2014
\npredominantly of the animals he encounters in the field \u2014 have appeared everywhere from National Geographic to The New Yorker<\/a>.<\/p>\nBut Larsen can claim one photographic achievement that few on Earth can rival: One of his photos is on money. A shot that Larsen captured of a small, rarely seen frog was recently selected to grace a banknote in Madagascar.<\/p>\n
This is the unlikely story of how a scientist\u2019s zeal to find a frog \u201cpaid off.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014<\/p>\n
It started with a workshop \u2014 and a desire to sight-see.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were in Madagascar for meetings around a project we were doing,\u201d said Rachel Neugarten, director of priority-setting at Conservation International. \u201cSo we had a workshop, and then a few of us organized a field trip for those who
\nwanted to stay to try to see a little bit of Madagascar.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group, including Neugarten, Larsen and a few other staff, found a guide willing to take them through Ranomafana National Park, in the southeastern part of the island. Their mission for that day: to help Larsen find a tiny frog known of the genus Mantella<\/em>.<\/p>\nMantella frogs, of which there are more than a dozen species, are endemic to the island of Madagascar \u2014 meaning they live nowhere else on Earth. Small and brightly colored, they are reminiscent of their more famous South American cousins, the poison
\ndart frogs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was searching for this species because I really wanted to observe and photograph them,\u201d Larsen said. \u201cI told everyone in the group, \u2018I\u2019m not leaving until I find a mantella.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an intensity that any breed of enthusiast, from birdwatchers to trainspotters, can understand.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been one of his \u2018bucket list\u2019 species that he\u2019s been wanting to see his whole life,\u201d Neugarten said.<\/p>\n
The challenge: finding a tiny animal that does not want to be found.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey tend to have very narrow distribution, with several species across Madagascar,\u201d Larsen said. The species he was after, he said, was not endangered but it is hard to find, typically hiding under logs.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, the team had an able guide.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe guide knew exactly where this frog was,\u201d Neugarten said.<\/p>\n
Needless to say, it isn\u2019t always so. Larsen\u2019s work to find and document wildlife has taken him places few humans have ever seen. But this time? No bug-bitten treks through thick rainforest. No grueling canoe trips upriver. No hiking through
\nmiles of rugged, remote terrain. This time, the object of his search was just there, a short distance off the side of a road.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had to drive through one of the local communities to a little wetland area,\u201d Neugarten said. \u201cThe guide hopped out of the car, walked a few yards in and came back with one of these frogs. He knew exactly where they were and how to
\nfind them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moments later, a glimpse of the rare critter he came to see: Mantella baroni<\/em>, not much larger than an adult\u2019s thumb. Glistening and vibrant, its bright neon-green front legs and tiger-striped rear legs contrasted with the deep, dark black
\nof its body.<\/p>\nLarsen, needless to say, was thrilled.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt this moment, Trond is, like, beside himself, and he sets up this photo like a professional, and he\u2019s taking pictures and having this out-of-body experience,\u201d Neugarten said. \u201cAnd the rest of us are just beside ourselves laughing
\nbecause it\u2019s a beautiful frog, but none of us has this connection to it that he does.\u201d<\/p>\n
Larsen managed to get within inches of the frog, who let him take several close-ups before hopping back into the undergrowth.<\/p>\n
Given the importance of photography in nature conservation, it\u2019s no surprise that a scientist would carry a camera around. But Larsen has taken his nature photography to a level few other researchers can match \u2014 and he is almost completely
\nself-taught.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/ciorg.imgix.net\/images\/default-source\/default-album\/ci_28048738?&auto=compress&auto=format&fit=crop?&auto=compress&auto=format&w=800\")
<\/p>\n
In this 2017 photo, a leopard cub (Panthera pardus<\/em>) absconds with a fresh kill in Kruger National Park, South Africa. (\u00a9 Trond Larsen)<\/h6>\n\u201cThe chance to artistically capture the beauty of [wildlife] is just really appealing,\u201d he said. \u201cI started to play around when I got my first SLR (camera), and I would bring a camera every time I was doing field work.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI took some pretty terrible shots at first, but you learn, and I started overlapping with professional photographers in the field and learned a lot of tricks from those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2017, Larsen was part of a small team of researchers selected to travel to a sensational archaeological find in Honduras. The site, known locally as \u201cCity of the Monkey God,\u201d lay hidden for centuries within a concealed valley in the Mosquitia
\nrainforest; its location remains a secret. The team\u2019s perilous expedition to survey the area\u2019s wildlife was chronicled in a story published earlier this year in The New Yorker<\/a> \u2014 illustrated, naturally, by Larsen\u2019s photos of the region\u2019s rare amphibians and venomous snakes.<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/ciorg.imgix.net\/images\/default-source\/default-album\/ci_53830409?&auto=compress&auto=format&fit=crop?&auto=compress&auto=format&w=800\")
<\/p>\n
An eyelash viper in Honduras. (\u00a9 Trond Larsen)<\/h6>\n
After his work trip to Madagascar, Larsen uploaded his frog shots to Conservation International\u2019s in-house photo database and forgot about them.<\/p>\n
Two years later, Larsen received an email. It was from Conservation International\u2019s Madagascar office.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey wrote me and said, basically, \u2018Hey, the government\u2019s interested in using your photo for a new banknote, would you be willing to let them use it?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
The country\u2019s previous series of banknotes had been in circulation for about a decade, according to Secura Monde<\/a>, a consulting company
\nfor the currency industry, when the government decided in 2016 to refresh them.<\/p>\nThe theme for the new series: \u201cthe riches of Madagascar.\u201d Whom better to ask than a conservation group?<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the government decided to create new banknotes, the Central Bank asked me to share some ideas related to nature,\u201d said Sahondra Rajoelina, Conservation International Madagascar\u2019s country director.<\/p>\n
Rajoelina\u2019s team sent along a few options, including Larsen\u2019s frog. A signed agreement granted the government the right to use the photo \u2014 Larsen said he was happy to give it freely for their use.<\/p>\n
The diminutive amphibian suits the small-change 100-ariary bill, which is worth about 3 U.S. cents. But this means Larsen\u2019s shot will be well-circulated in a country where nearly 80 percent of the population lives on less than US$ 2 a day.<\/p>\n
![\"Malagasy](\"https:\/\/ciorg.imgix.net\/images\/default-source\/default-album\/ci_17029883?&auto=compress&auto=format&fit=crop?&auto=compress&auto=format&w=800\")
<\/p>\n
Malagasy bank note featuring Trond Larsen\u2019s frog. (\u00a9 Conservation International)<\/h6>\n
\u201cIt is going to be seen a lot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
As for his photography, Larsen continues to bring his camera with him to the field \u2014 not for the recognition, but for science.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy research is first, of course, but you can always make time for photos.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bruno Vander Velde is senior communications director at Conservation International.<\/em><\/p>\nWant to read more stories like this? Sign up for email updates here<\/a>. Donate to Conservation International <\/em> here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n
\npredominantly of the animals he encounters in the field \u2014 have appeared everywhere from National Geographic to The New Yorker<\/a>.<\/p>\n
But Larsen can claim one photographic achievement that few on Earth can rival: One of his photos is on money. A shot that Larsen captured of a small, rarely seen frog was recently selected to grace a banknote in Madagascar.<\/p>\n
This is the unlikely story of how a scientist\u2019s zeal to find a frog \u201cpaid off.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014<\/p>\n
It started with a workshop \u2014 and a desire to sight-see.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were in Madagascar for meetings around a project we were doing,\u201d said Rachel Neugarten, director of priority-setting at Conservation International. \u201cSo we had a workshop, and then a few of us organized a field trip for those who
\nwanted to stay to try to see a little bit of Madagascar.\u201d<\/p>\n
The group, including Neugarten, Larsen and a few other staff, found a guide willing to take them through Ranomafana National Park, in the southeastern part of the island. Their mission for that day: to help Larsen find a tiny frog known of the genus Mantella<\/em>.<\/p>\n Mantella frogs, of which there are more than a dozen species, are endemic to the island of Madagascar \u2014 meaning they live nowhere else on Earth. Small and brightly colored, they are reminiscent of their more famous South American cousins, the poison \u201cI was searching for this species because I really wanted to observe and photograph them,\u201d Larsen said. \u201cI told everyone in the group, \u2018I\u2019m not leaving until I find a mantella.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s an intensity that any breed of enthusiast, from birdwatchers to trainspotters, can understand.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been one of his \u2018bucket list\u2019 species that he\u2019s been wanting to see his whole life,\u201d Neugarten said.<\/p>\n The challenge: finding a tiny animal that does not want to be found.<\/p>\n \u201cThey tend to have very narrow distribution, with several species across Madagascar,\u201d Larsen said. The species he was after, he said, was not endangered but it is hard to find, typically hiding under logs.<\/p>\n Fortunately, the team had an able guide.<\/p>\n \u201cThe guide knew exactly where this frog was,\u201d Neugarten said.<\/p>\n Needless to say, it isn\u2019t always so. Larsen\u2019s work to find and document wildlife has taken him places few humans have ever seen. But this time? No bug-bitten treks through thick rainforest. No grueling canoe trips upriver. No hiking through \u201cWe had to drive through one of the local communities to a little wetland area,\u201d Neugarten said. \u201cThe guide hopped out of the car, walked a few yards in and came back with one of these frogs. He knew exactly where they were and how to Moments later, a glimpse of the rare critter he came to see: Mantella baroni<\/em>, not much larger than an adult\u2019s thumb. Glistening and vibrant, its bright neon-green front legs and tiger-striped rear legs contrasted with the deep, dark black Larsen, needless to say, was thrilled.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this moment, Trond is, like, beside himself, and he sets up this photo like a professional, and he\u2019s taking pictures and having this out-of-body experience,\u201d Neugarten said. \u201cAnd the rest of us are just beside ourselves laughing Larsen managed to get within inches of the frog, who let him take several close-ups before hopping back into the undergrowth.<\/p>\n Given the importance of photography in nature conservation, it\u2019s no surprise that a scientist would carry a camera around. But Larsen has taken his nature photography to a level few other researchers can match \u2014 and he is almost completely \u201cThe chance to artistically capture the beauty of [wildlife] is just really appealing,\u201d he said. \u201cI started to play around when I got my first SLR (camera), and I would bring a camera every time I was doing field work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI took some pretty terrible shots at first, but you learn, and I started overlapping with professional photographers in the field and learned a lot of tricks from those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n In 2017, Larsen was part of a small team of researchers selected to travel to a sensational archaeological find in Honduras. The site, known locally as \u201cCity of the Monkey God,\u201d lay hidden for centuries within a concealed valley in the Mosquitia After his work trip to Madagascar, Larsen uploaded his frog shots to Conservation International\u2019s in-house photo database and forgot about them.<\/p>\n Two years later, Larsen received an email. It was from Conservation International\u2019s Madagascar office.<\/p>\n \u201cThey wrote me and said, basically, \u2018Hey, the government\u2019s interested in using your photo for a new banknote, would you be willing to let them use it?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n The country\u2019s previous series of banknotes had been in circulation for about a decade, according to Secura Monde<\/a>, a consulting company The theme for the new series: \u201cthe riches of Madagascar.\u201d Whom better to ask than a conservation group?<\/p>\n \u201cWhen the government decided to create new banknotes, the Central Bank asked me to share some ideas related to nature,\u201d said Sahondra Rajoelina, Conservation International Madagascar\u2019s country director.<\/p>\n Rajoelina\u2019s team sent along a few options, including Larsen\u2019s frog. A signed agreement granted the government the right to use the photo \u2014 Larsen said he was happy to give it freely for their use.<\/p>\n The diminutive amphibian suits the small-change 100-ariary bill, which is worth about 3 U.S. cents. But this means Larsen\u2019s shot will be well-circulated in a country where nearly 80 percent of the population lives on less than US$ 2 a day.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is going to be seen a lot,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n As for his photography, Larsen continues to bring his camera with him to the field \u2014 not for the recognition, but for science.<\/p>\n \u201cMy research is first, of course, but you can always make time for photos.\u201d<\/p>\n Bruno Vander Velde is senior communications director at Conservation International.<\/em><\/p>\n Want to read more stories like this? Sign up for email updates here<\/a>. Donate to Conservation International <\/em> here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n
\ndart frogs.<\/p>\n
\nmiles of rugged, remote terrain. This time, the object of his search was just there, a short distance off the side of a road.<\/p>\n
\nfind them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nof its body.<\/p>\n
\nbecause it\u2019s a beautiful frog, but none of us has this connection to it that he does.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nself-taught.<\/p>\nIn this 2017 photo, a leopard cub (Panthera pardus<\/em>) absconds with a fresh kill in Kruger National Park, South Africa. (\u00a9 Trond Larsen)<\/h6>\n
\nrainforest; its location remains a secret. The team\u2019s perilous expedition to survey the area\u2019s wildlife was chronicled in a story published earlier this year in The New Yorker<\/a> \u2014 illustrated, naturally, by Larsen\u2019s photos of the region\u2019s rare amphibians and venomous snakes.<\/p>\nAn eyelash viper in Honduras. (\u00a9 Trond Larsen)<\/h6>\n
\nfor the currency industry, when the government decided in 2016 to refresh them.<\/p>\nMalagasy bank note featuring Trond Larsen\u2019s frog. (\u00a9 Conservation International)<\/h6>\n