Why Save The Frogs Day?

Besides eating pests that transmit disease, “frogs and toads play an important role, serving as both prey and predator, in wetland ecosystems and are considered indicators of environmental health. Many previously abundant frog and toad populations have experienced dramatic population declines both in the United States and around the world and it’s essential that scientists understand the scope, geographic scale, and cause of these declines.”

What can I do to help frogs? Keeper Megan suggests:

• Conserve water as much as possible-turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth, only wash full loads of laundry, take shorter showers, etc.
• Support legislation that protects and preserves wetland habitats that amphibians need in order to live.
• Avoid using pesticides in your garden- frogs and toads LOVE eating all kinds of bugs, so let’s make sure they have a clean source of food.
• Build a frog pond in your own backyard! Amphibians are always in need of a clean, safe habitat, and you could get a chance to see amphibian metamorphosis happening up close.

What is FrogWatch?

We love frogs! Did you know CuriOdyssey helps host the local Bay Area chapter of FrogWatch? “FrogWatch USA is AZA’s citizen science program and provides individuals, groups, and families opportunities to learn about wetlands in their communities by reporting on the calls of local frogs and toads.”

Why does citizen science matter?

“Citizen science refers to research collaborations between scientists and volunteers that expand opportunities for scientific data collection while also providing access to this information to community members. Volunteers follow a protocol and explore the topic, while the data are used to answer research questions. Citizen science programs, usually addressing questions that require long-term, large-scale data collection, are a great way for people to contribute to science.” So, citizen science is about getting up close with the natural world and contributing to a larger body of scientific research. Many causes (like FrogWatch) rely on this data submitted by volunteers.

You too can be a citizen scientist.

Curious about the Bay Area’s FrogWatch chapter? Start here, or explore other citizen science projects here.

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All excerpts are from the A.Z.A.’s pages on FrogWatch or Citizen Science.

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