PRESS ROOM

ROYAL OAK, Mich., 

The Detroit Zoological Society (DZS) is inviting Southeast Michigan residents to hop to it and join the local chapter of FrogWatch USA. The citizen science 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 tabs on what’s happening in our own backyard. This program lets people in southeast Michigan help monitor our native 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 weeks. Their observations provide valuable insight into whether amphibians in the region 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 our community to join us in helping amphibians,” Carter said.

FrogWatch training classes for 2019 will be offered free of charge at the Detroit Zoo’s Ford Education Center on the following dates: Wednesday, Jan. 30, 5 to 9 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 3, noon to 4 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 9, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Tuesday, Feb. 26, 5 to 9 p.m.; Sunday, March 3, 1 to 4 p.m.; and Thursday, March 14, 5 to 9 p.m.

In addition, a class will be held at the Belle Isle Nature Center on Sunday, March 24, noon to 4 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 to contribute to the conservation of amphibians.