FrogWatch Volunteers Needed at Saint Louis Zoo
Jan 10, 2013The Saint Louis Zoo is looking for a few good FrogWatchers
Training sessions set for Jan. 26, Feb. 23 and March 9, 2013
Make it your New Year resolution to jump in and become a FrogWatch USA volunteer with the Saint Louis Zoo! St. Louis-area “citizen scientists” are needed to monitor frogs and toads from their backyards, parks, fields, creeks or just about anywhere. The information gathered can ultimately lead to practical and workable ways to stop amphibian decline.
You do not have to be a frog or toad expert join FrogWatch. You won’t even need to see or touch these amazing amphibians to participate. All you need is an interest in frogs and toads and attend a training session at the Zoo. You’ll be asked to make a commitment to monitor a site of your choosing for at least three minutes twice a week throughout the breeding season, which ranges from about February to August.
“In just a couple of hours, we will train you to distinguish the croaks, peeps and various calls of the 10 most common frog and toad species around the St. Louis area,” says Michael Dawson, an education naturalist at the Saint Louis Zoo and coordinator of the new St. Louis chapter of FrogWatch USA. “Breeding calls vary greatly and are often mistaken for birds or insects. Their volume ranges from a soft musical trill to a deafening chorus.”
If you’re ready to take that leap, the Saint Louis Zoo will host trainings on Saturdays, Jan. 26, Feb. 23 and March 9 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Zoo. Registration is requested. Register online at www.stlzoo.org/frogwatch, or call (314) 646-4551. The sessions are offered for students entering grade nine and up to adults.
FrogWatch USA is the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ flagship citizen science program that allows individuals and families to learn about the wetlands in their communities and help conserve amphibians by reporting the calls of local frogs and toads. For over ten years, FrogWatch USA volunteers have been trained to enter their information. Ongoing analyses of this data have been used to help develop practical strategies for the conservation of these important species.
For more information and to hear some frog calls, visit www.stlzoo.org/frogwatch or www.aza.org/frogwatch.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Saint Louis Zoo 314/781-0900
Susan Gallagher, 314/646-4633
Christy Childs, 314/646-4639
Joanna Bender, 314/646-4703
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