Volunteers Leap into Frog Monitoring

May 15, 2014

The Downeast Lakes Land Trust is pleased to be the home of the new Downeast Lakes Chapter of FrogWatch USA.  A flagship citizen science program, FrogWatch USA trains individuals and families to report the calls of local frogs and toads.

A volunteer training session held on May 10th emphasized frog and toad call identification and reporting. Local volunteers can now contribute to FrogWatch USA’s base of scientific data by following standardized data collection protocols. The newly-trained volunteers plan to monitor Grand Lake Stream, West Grand Lake, Little River, Billy Brown Brook and numerous vernal pools. They will gather species, population and phenological (seasonal) data.  This information could be used to develop practical strategies for the conservation of these important species.