Detroit Zoo Seeks Residents For FrogWatch

ROYAL OAK, MI — The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) is inviting citizen scientists from Southeast Michigan to hop to it and join the local chapter of FrogWatch USA. This important program teaches volunteers how to identify frogs and toads by their breeding calls and to gather and record data that supports a national network.

“We already know about the extinctions and crises amphibians face globally, but we also need to keep an ear on what’s happening in our own backyard. This program lets people in Southeast Michigan help monitor Michigan’s amphibians and make sure their populations are healthy,” said DZS Chief Life Sciences Officer Scott Carter.

FrogWatch volunteers choose from locations throughout the tri-county area and monitor the sites for several months. Their observations provide valuable information about whether amphibians in Michigan are declining or increasing, or if new species are being found in areas where they have not been identified before.

“FrogWatch is a unique opportunity for people to help us help amphibians,” Carter said.

FrogWatch training classes for 2020 will be offered free of charge at the Detroit Zoo’s Ford Education Center on the following dates: Wednesday, Jan. 29, 5 to 9 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 2, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 8, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 25, 5 to 9 p.m.; Thursday, March 5, 5 to 9 p.m.; and Saturday, March 14, noon to 4 p.m. There will also be a training class held at the Belle Isle Nature Center on Saturday, March 21, from 1 to 5 p.m.

To register for a FrogWatch training class, visit https://detroitzoo.org/animals/frogwatch/or contact DZS Associate Curator of Amphibians Rebecca Johnson at rjohnson@dzs.org.

FrogWatch USA is a collaborative effort among the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) and AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums throughout the U.S. The program allows individuals and families to learn about the wetlands in their communities and contribute to the conservation of amphibians.