FrogWatch at Franklin Park Zoo

Saturday, March 24, 2018

Hop to it! Zoo New England’s Franklin Park Zoo is calling for volunteers of all ages to become FrogWatch Citizen Scientists! Why frogs? Frog species around the world are disappearing at an alarming rate and to recover, frogs must fight an uphill battle against pollution, climate change and habitat loss.

Zoo New England is home to a Massachusetts chapter of FrogWatch USA, a program of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums that provides the opportunity for volunteer citizen scientists to get out in the field to listen for and report the calls of local frogs and toads. The data collected in this long-running program is used to develop strategies for frog and toad conservation.

Zoo New England’s Franklin Park Zoo will be offering two FrogWatch trainings on March 10 and 24 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Trainings are free* and open to citizen scientists of all ages, with or without prior experience. The FrogWatch trainings cover why amphibians are important to the environment with a focus on how to:

- Monitor local frog species using scientific methods
- Choose a wetland site that is suitable for FrogWatch
- Identify frog species by their calls
- Report findings to FrogWatch USA

*Please note: Admission to Franklin Park Zoo is not included in the training.