4 minute read
In It Together For The Frogs & Toads
Wisconsinites join forces for crucial monitoring project
Andrea Zani
Andrea Zani is managing editor of Wisconsin Natural Resources magazine.
Under cover of darkness in spring and summer, Wisconsin’s wetlands practically roar with the sounds of nature. Raccoons quarrel, owls call and answer, and frogs and toads create a symphony of sound that fills the night air.
It is the latter that draws dedicated volunteers to the longest-running amphibian monitoring project in North America, the Wisconsin Frog and Toad Survey. People like Heidi Conde of Eau Claire, a volunteer since 2010, work to identify and record the species they hear to help DNR biologists gain insights into the state’s frogs and toads.
“Because the sense of sight is limited at night, the sense of hearing becomes more important,” Conde said. “I got involved because I think the survey is important research since amphibians are a good indicator species for water quality.”
The information she and others collect is vital to scientists managing frog and toad populations, said Andrew Badje, DNR conservation biologist who co-coordinates the project with colleagues Rori Paloski and Tara Bergeson.
“The Wisconsin Frog and Toad Survey has done so much for frog and toad conservation in Wisconsin since it started in the early 1980s,” Badje said. “The program has done an exceptional job documenting annual status reports for all our species.”
Wisconsin is home to 11 frog and one toad species, and the survey is key to tracking trends for each one, said Paloski, a DNR herpetologist.
“Some frog species in Wisconsin are rare, and we want to monitor them closely,” Paloski said, “while other species are common, and we want to keep them that way.”
The survey only gets better with time, Paloski added, as volunteers add more data every year.
“Frog populations are known to fluctuate significantly from year to year, even in habitats without human impacts,” she said. “So 20 years of frog survey data is the minimum to calculate population trends. And since we now have 40 years of data, we can start seeing some statistically significant trends.”
VOLUNTEERS ARE KEY
Every year, survey volunteers monitor about 150 permanent roadside routes statewide. Each route has 10 listening stations near wetlands featuring frog and toad breeding habitats.
When conditions are favorable — low winds, relatively warm air temperature, higher humidity — volunteers listen for species calls and record observations. They survey each route three times: in early spring, late spring and summer.
Public involvement is critical to the survey’s success.
“Without our volunteers, this project is not possible — period,” Badje said. “Having over 200 volunteers surveying across the state … it goes much further than what a few biologists can do, and at a fraction of the cost to the state taxpayer.”
Monitoring is essential because frogs and toads are vital to the greater ecosystem.
“Ecologically speaking, frogs and toads are in the middle of the food chain,” Badje said. “By being able to tie frog health and abundance levels to the larger ecosystem picture, volunteers are also documenting environmental health and wellness across a larger scale.”
SECRET TO SUCCESS
While neighboring states have had trouble sustaining similar projects, the dedication of volunteers and commitment of the DNR have allowed this one to thrive.
“Wisconsin’s overall commitment to community science is a point of pride and ultimately the reason the DNR has continued to provide the resources to coordinate the survey,” Badje said.
Frogs are familiar to people, Badje added, which might explain the ongoing public interest.
“They have fond memories while young, picking up frogs and toads,” he said. “They are so accessible to us, compared to other animals.”
LEARN MORE
Visit dnr.wi.gov/tiny/2191 for a short video featuring sounds of all 12 Wisconsin frog and toad species to help identify which species are in your backyard. To get involved with the Wisconsin Frog and Toad Survey, visit dnr.wi.gov/tiny/2186.
