Become a Citizen Scientist &
"Spring Forward" with FrogWatch USA™
Would you like to help the environment?
Do you know of a wetland near you with frogs calling?
If you answered yes, we're looking for you!
The zoo, in
collaboration with Yale University's Peabody Museum, is looking for
volunteers to help monitor frog populations in nearby wetlands during
the spring and summer.
Time commitment: 15 minutes, 1 or 2 times per week, a half hour after sunset.
Cost:
Training is FREE for members of Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo and Yale University's Peabody Museum and $10 for non-member families.
No experience necessary!
We will teach families, students, and others how to be citizen
scientists through both classroom and experiential learning. Working
with experts, volunteers will learn about local frog species, travel
into wetlands throughout the region, and observe and record the frog and
toad calls they hear. While at the zoo, volunteers also will have a
chance to get up close and personal with amphibian education animals.
Volunteers have a choice of two dates for training workshops:
Friday, March 21 from 7 - 9 pm Friday, March 28 from 7 - 9 pm
Hanson Center, Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo Museum auditorium
1875 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport 170 Whitney Ave, New Haven
Call (203) 394-6563 to pre-register E-mail Jim Sirch to pre-register
"FrogWatch is a
terrific way for us to engage a new generation of people interested in
conservation," explained Jim Knox, education curator, Connecticut's
Beardsley Zoo. "This program brings conservation to life and shows how
we all can play a part in protecting these animals."
Why frogs?
Amphibians play an
important role in the health of ecosystems, but more than one third of
the world's amphibian species are currently facing the largest mass
extinction event since the dinosaurs. Even in the United States,
previously abundant amphibian populations have experienced dramatic
declines.
"Frogs, toads, and
other amphibians are sensitive to changes in the environment and
therefore act as environmental indicators for factors that could
negatively impact ecosystem and human health," explained Rachel Gauza,
AZA's education and outreach coordinator. "The data collected by
FrogWatch USA™ volunteers can be used to help understand the scope and
geographic scale of amphibian declines and inform conservation and
management efforts."
What is FrogWatch USA™?
FrogWatch USA™is
dedicated to collecting information about frog and toad populations,
raising awareness about amphibians and wetlands, and engaging the public
in science. Since 1998, FrogWatch USA™ volunteers have collected data
on the frogs and toads heard calling in their local wetlands during
evenings from February through August. Together, these volunteers
contribute to a long-term, nationwide effort to gather information on
species presence, habitat use, and changes over time.
This season, FrogWatch
USA™ unveiled a new web platform developed in partnership with the
National Geographic Society so volunteers can register and enter data
online, as well as use maps and graphs to explore their observations
alongside those of volunteers throughout the country.
"Seeing your observations reflected online in real time and comparing them to others adds a whole new element to what was
traditionally an outdoors-only program," said Shelly Grow, AZA's
director of conservation programs. "We are thrilled with what the
National Geographic Society has done for FrogWatch USA™ and think
volunteers will be, too."
By moving to an
online system, FrogWatch USA™ data are now readily accessible to anyone
with an interest in frogs and toads. Volunteers may more about FrogWatch
USA and how to participate by visiting www.aza.org/frogwatch.
Volunteers are invited to post their amphibian photos, experiences, and
videos by "leaping" into the FrogWatch USA™ online community on Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr.