An audio delight each spring is the chorus of spring peepers and other frog species as they emerge from a long winter. The DNR is asking for volunteers to do some citizen science monitoring to see how many of the amphibians are out there.
The survey began in 1981 after studies found a decline in the numbers of frogs and toads.
DNR conservation biologist Andrew Badje says the survey tracks trends...
"....help catalog the 12 different species of frogs and toads in Wisconsin. Part of it is cataloging, part of it is recording distribution throughout the state and the main reason we do it is to help detect trends of each one of the species through out Wisconsin...."
Badje says beginning in the 1950's they noticed population declines of the northern leopard frog, American bullfrog, pickerel frog, and Blanchard's cricket frog. Wisconsin has 12 frog and toad species...
"....the program has routes throughout the entire state which consists of 10 states per route. We ask volunteers that they only survey for three nights...their survey nights consist of visiting those 10 sites an listening for 5-10 minutes apiece and recording...."
Volunteers survey in early spring, late spring, and early summer. Badje says this program is one of the first of its kind in North America.
Badje says you can email the project at w f t s @Wisconsin.gov or go to the DNRwebsiteand put frog and toad survey in the search box.
