Hop to the call of conservation: Zoo seeking citizen scientists for FrogWatch USA program

Posted 3/5/14

Roger Williams Park Zoo is seeking volunteer “citizen scientists” to participate in the sixth season of its statewide FrogWatch USA program.

Program participants attend a training that …

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Hop to the call of conservation: Zoo seeking citizen scientists for FrogWatch USA program

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Roger Williams Park Zoo is seeking volunteer “citizen scientists” to participate in the sixth season of its statewide FrogWatch USA program.

Program participants attend a training that discusses the importance of amphibians in the environment, how to tell the frog species apart by their calls and how monitoring our local population helps to protect them. Citizen scientists commit to monitoring a local amphibian habitat (such as a pond or lake) and collecting data on what they hear, approximately once a week for about 15 minutes.   

Amphibian species are disappearing at an alarming rate across the globe due to a number of factors, such as habitat loss, pollution and disease. Amphibians act as valuable indicators of ecosystem health, and without them, insect populations could grow out of control and potentially spread disease that could threaten human populations and agriculture. This has led to what many conservationists call a global amphibian crisis, with one-third to one-half of all amphibian species facing possible extinction. 

Though there don’t appear to be any immediate threats to the species found locally in New England, the monitoring and data collected through the FrogWatch program will help conservationists to keep tabs on these populations and react to any decline much more quickly. 

“FrogWatch USA is an easy, enjoyable way for people who have an interest in amphibians and the environment to contribute real data that will help us better understand the status of frog and toad populations on a local, regional and national level,” said Lou Perrotti, director of conservation programs at the zoo.  “Without citizen science programs like FrogWatch USA, it would be impossible to collect the volume of valuable data needed for long-term species monitoring programs.”

The zoo is holding training sessions for the program on Feb. 25 from 6 to 8:30 p.m., March 2 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. and March 16 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. To help defray the cost of running this important project, a $10 materials fee will be charged per participating household to cover training materials. Register online at www.rwpzoo.org/352/be-frogwatcher (pre-registration is required).

For more information about the FrogWatch USA program at Roger Williams Park Zoo, and about the global amphibian crisis, visit the zoo’s website, www.rwpzoo.org, and click on “Conservation.”

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