Frog Call Surveys
What are Frog Call Surveys, and why are they important? You can read all about them here, and you can learn about the need for volunteer frog call monitors.
Volunteer monitors fill out your electronic survey's here.
| Surveys | Survey Maps |
| Survey Protocol | |
| 2010 Survey Summary | |
| 2009 Survey Summary | |
| 2008 Survey Summary | |
| Sangamon River Forest Preserve | |
| Meadowbrook Park | |
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Introduction
Since 2007 we have partnered with the Urbana Park District and the East Central Illinois Master Naturalist Chapter to monitor frogs and toads in our area through calling surveys. These declining amphibians are an integral part of our ecosystem and are great indicators of environmental health. Frog call surveys give us scientific data on presence or absence of a species and general abundance of the population.
Goals
Our goal is to establish Frog Calling Survey areas throughout the Champaign County area, so that amphibian abundance and distribution data can be collected over many years. Data from the Frog Calling Survey will be used to guide conservation planning, local land management, and land protection.
What is a Frog Call Survey?
A Frog Call Survey is a rather simple endeavor. Participants only need to learn the unique calls of the 12 species of frogs and toads that occur in the Champaign County area. Observers attend one late winter educational meeting, one early spring field training, and then listen for frogs on evenings in the spring. Each survey visit will last for about one to two hours. You will soon become amazed by the vast richness of amphibian life at night.
The Frog Call Surveys begin March 1 and go through July 31 in each year. We ask that all information be reported by July 31.
Training
In order to become a Frog Call Survey Monitor you must attend one winter and one spring training session in order to learn the frog and toad species of the area, their calls, and the monitoring procedures. Winter workshops are offered in February and spring trainings are offered in March. Plan to attend a workshop each year, in order to brush up on your skills and learn about other amphibian or reptile monitoring projects.
Make a commitment to learn the frog and toad calls before the first survey. It is acceptable to bring a tape or disk of the calls to help you identify what you hear, as long as it is played softly, or is played in the car, so that you do not encourage the real frogs to call. Playing calls could bias survey results.
Questions? More information is provided at the links below, or contact Dan Olson, CCFPD Director of Natural Resources at (217) 586-4389 or mdaab@ccfpd.org.
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