Frog and Toad Monitoring Program
A gray tree frog
Frog and toad populations around the world are declining due to habitat loss, climate change, fungal disease, and contaminants. Monitoring programs that keep track of where frogs and toads are, and how they are doing, will be a critical part of their conservation and long-term sustainability. We have 14 different species of frogs and toads in New York State, three of which have special conservation status including the: eastern spadefoot toad (Special Concern), southern leopard frog (Special concern), and eastern cricket frog (Endangered). The information collected by citizen scientists in the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program will help us develop an index of frog and toad distribution and abundance across New York State, and over time.
A bullfrog
The North American Amphibian Monitoring Program (NAAMP) is a collaborative effort among regional partners, such as state natural resource agencies and nonprofit organizations, and the U.S. Geological Survey to monitor populations of vocal amphibians such as frogs and toads. In New York, the Hudson River Estuary Biodiversity Monitoring Program is providing regional coordination for recruiting and training citizen scientists in collecting frog and toad population data. Population data are collected using a calling survey technique, in which observers identify local amphibian species by their unique vocalizations. Observers are trained to identify their local species by these unique vocalizations or "frog calls".
Available monitoring routes occur across the Hudson valley in: Orange, Putnam, Westchester, Ulster, Dutchess, Greene, Albany, Columbia and Rensselaer Counties. The 2009 sampling season is already under way. If you are interested in participating in 2010, please contact Amielle DeWan at: aadewan@gw.dec.state.ny.us; 845-256-2252
For more information about North American Amphibian Monitoring Program please use Offsite Links on the right side of this page.
