Volunteers Still Needed for Rouge River Frog Survey

Volunteers interested in surveying Rouge River wetlands for frogs and toads are encouraged to sign up for a training workshop in Bloomfield Hills this week conducted by Friends of the Rouge. 

Volunteers will learn how to recognize eight frog and toad calls commonly heard in Michigan in spring and are assigned a nearby area to survey by listening.

The next workshop will be held at the E.L. Johnson Nature Center in Bloomfield Hills, located at 3325 Franklin Rd.

Anyone interested in learning about local wildlife and willing to learn the calls and devote a few evenings every month to listening is encouraged to sign up. People from all walks of life participate in the survey, including students, retirees, families (children five and older are welcome when accompanied by a participating adult).  Surveys must be done within the Rouge River watershed (survey blocks are assigned as close to volunteers as possible).

The survey has been conducted since 1998 and results are used to track the health of local wetlands.  Wetlands are critical to the health of the Rouge River. The survey is funded through a grant from the Rouge River National Wet Weather Demonstration Project and local Rouge communities.