Twenty-five people attended the 2024 FrogWatch training on January 30 at Rust library. The participants learned how to identify our local frogs and toads both visually and by learning to recognize their calls.
Pickerel Frog.
Photo by Jenny Erickson
Since frogs and toads populations can give us a good indication of the health of our local wetland areas, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy participates in the FrogWatch program, which collects data on frog/toad calls nationwide. This data is added to a national database that allows researchers to track populations over longer periods of time. The participants of the 2024 FrogWatch training learned the details of monitoring our local populations including how to choose a site to monitor, how and when to monitor, and safety when monitoring.
The FrogWatch monitoring typically runs from mid- to late February through September, depending upon temperature and precipitation. If you were unable to attend the training in person, there is still time to watch our pre-recorded training and sign up to help monitor our local frog/toad population. Contact Jenny Erickson at jerickson@loudounwildlife.org for more information.