Frog Watch
FrogWatch USA is a citizen science program established in 1998 to provide individuals, groups and families with opportunities to learn about wetlands in their communities by reporting on the calls of local frogs and toads.
New River Valley Master Naturalists involved in this project learn about our regional wetlands and frogs and document the species they locate in their area. Volunteers submit the data they collect to a national dataset that is publicly available online.
Participants receive classroom and field training to learn to identify the calls of 13 species of frogs that live in Radford and the counties of Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, and Pulaski. Trained volunteers adopt and monitor assigned areas and track their data using FieldScope, a nonprofit citizen science platform.Â
Their data helps inform the development of environmental protection and amphibian conservation strategies.
"There's something magical when you stand outdoors under the stars and hear the songs of frogs," volunteer Judy McCord said. "It's even more fun when you know what they are!"