FrogWatch Volunteer training session 2016
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This document provides an overview of the Montgomery County FrogWatch program, including details about volunteer commitments, amphibian ecology, monitoring protocols, and local wetland habitats. Volunteers are trained to identify frog and toad calls, follow a standardized monitoring protocol at approved wetland sites, and submit acoustic data online through the FrogWatch USA citizen science program to track trends in local amphibian populations.
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FrogWatch Volunteer training session 2016
- 1. Welcome to the Montgomery County FrogWatch Chapter! Website: www.mygreenmontgomery.org/frogwatch Email: DEP.FrogWatch@montgomerycountymd.gov
- 2. Agenda • FrogWatch USA and Montgomery County • Volunteer Commitments • Amphibians and wetlands • Monitoring Protocols • Data Entry using FieldScope • Local frogs and toads
- 3. Montgomery County, MD 507 sq. miles Over 1 million people Nearly 400,000 homes Very Diverse - 184 languages spoken About 12% impervious surface overall About the size of Washington DC – 61 sq. miles or about 39,000 ac Over 1,500 miles of streams Two major river basins: Potomac (88% of drainage) Patuxent (12% of drainage) Eight local watersheds
- 4. FrogWatch USA www.frogwatch.org • The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) • Citizen Science Program • Collects data on frog and toad breeding calls • Hosted by local chapters • Began in 1998 – 19th season!
- 5. Why Collect Data? • Describe local species diversity • Detect rare and invasive species • Monitor shifts in species diversity, range, and phenology over time • Indicates wetland health • Inform the development of land management strategies
- 6. Volunteer Commitments • Must attend 2 volunteer trainings – Today, February 10th – Field training in March • Monitor a site weekly • Enter all data online using FieldScope • Submit data sheets to DEP Cider Press/Gunner’s Branch Pond, Germantown
- 7. Amphibians • Have gills during at least one stage of their life cycle • Live part of their lives in the water, part on land • Appeared on Earth ~350 million years ago and are one of the oldest vertebrate classes alive • Three Orders: salamanders, frogs & toads, and caecilians – Distinguished from other amphibians by being tail-less
- 8. Frogs and Toads are Important • Benefit the natural world and humans: – Predators and prey in the ecosystem – Pest control – Food – Medicine – Education and research • Serve as indicators of wetland health • Sensitive to the environment
- 9. Amphibian Declines • Globally, almost one out of every third amphibian species is threatened with extinction • Primary Causes of Decline: – Habitat loss and fragmentation – Pollutants – Introduction of non-native, invasive species – Climate disruption – Parasites and disease
- 10. Lets Play a Game! Frog or Toad?
- 11. Anurans: Frogs and Toads Frogs Toads • Smooth or slimy skin • Lay eggs in clusters • Usually live in or near water • Skinny bodies with long legs • Move in leaps and jumps • Upper jaw with teeth •Warty, dry skin •Lay eggs in long strands •Usually live on dry land •Fat bodies with short legs •Move in short hops •No teeth Southern Leopard Frog American Bullfrog American ToadFowler’s Toad
- 12. Wetlands • Frogs and toads need water to breed, so FrogWatch USA data is collected at wetlands • Wetlands are defined by three characteristics: – The presence of plants that are known to grow in saturated conditions – Soils that lack oxygen – Water at or near the surface during some part of the growing season.
- 13. Types of Wetlands • Marshes – Frequently covered in water; emergent soft-stemmed vegetation • Vernal pools – Form in spring from melting snow or rains; often dry in summer • Swamps – Saturated soil, sometimes with standing water; plant life dominated by woody plants • Bogs – Include spongy peat, derive water from precipitation; highly acidic waters support low plant diversity • Fens – Like bogs, but also receive water from sources like groundwater, and therefore gain nutrients that support more diverse plant life
- 14. Site Selection • Pre-registered by DEP: http://frogwatch.fieldscope.org/v3/maps/170 or https://mapsengine.google.com/map/u/0/edit?mid=z_UhZFkGrgBI.ky-l4pQ7jNMg • Register your own: • Choose a site that is: – Legally accessible!!! (must get letter of permission from property owner) – Convenient to access – Quiet – Safe for data collection in the evening Wheaton Branch Regional Pond, Silver Spring
- 15. Site Registration • Collect the following information about the site: – Type of habitat – Origin of wetland – Source or origin of water – Permanence of water – Use of land adjacent to wetland – Use of land within wetland – Latitude and longitude • Register site using FrogWatch FieldScope Montgomery County Airpark Regional Pond, Gaithersburg
- 16. Safety • Anyone younger than 18 yrs, please visit your site with an adult • Everyone should tell someone where you are going • No monitoring during lighting and thunder
- 17. Monitoring Protocol: Prior to Arrival at Site • Practice identifying the calls • Ensure appropriate weather conditions for monitoring: – Above 35 degrees Fahrenheit – Not raining too hard, nor too windy • Plan to monitor at least 30 minutes after sunset
- 18. Monitoring Protocol: Prior to Arrival at Site Prepare a monitoring equipment kit, to include: – Copy of Monitoring Protocol, datasheet for each visit – Clipboard – Pencil or indelible ink pen – Thermometer (Local Weather Report or other Weather App) – Stopwatch, Wristwatch, or Stopwatch App – One flashlight per person – Cell phone – Written permission from property owner – Optional: Extra flashlight, field guide, tape recorder, camera, rain gear
- 19. Monitoring Protocol: Upon Arrival • On FrogWatch USA Datasheet… – Enter volunteer and site information – Record weather information required Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks FrogWatch Chapter
- 20. Required Weather Information • Air temperature • Wind speed (Beaufort Wind Scale) 0 – Calm: smoke rises vertically; 0 mph 1 – Light air: rising smoke drifts; slight movement of air; 1-3 mph 2 – Light breeze: leaves rustle; wind felt on face; 4-7 mph 3 – Gentle breeze: leaves and twigs in constant motion; 8-12 mph Too windy to monitor: 4 – Moderate breeze: moves small branches, dust, loose paper; 13-18 mph 5 – Fresh breeze: small trees begin swaying; 19-24 mph • Current precipitation • 48 hour weather history
- 21. Monitoring Protocol • 2 minute acclimation period • Listen quietly for precisely 3 minutes. • Listen to, identify, and record all breeding calls occurring in the session on your datasheet. • If the monitoring session is interrupted by noise, restart it, including the 2 minute acclimation period. Sue Muller, Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks FrogWatch Chapter
- 22. Calling Intensity 0 – No frogs or toads heard calling 1 – Individuals can be counted; there is space between calls 2 – Calls of individuals can be distinguished, but there is some overlapping of calls 3 – Full chorus, calls are constant, continuous, and overlapping
- 23. Monitoring Protocol: Online Data Submission • Enter data directly using FrogWatch FieldScope http://frogwatch.fieldscope.org/v3 • Retain all data sheets until given to DEP (at field training)
- 24. Next Steps for Volunteers 1. Submit DEP forms today or via email. 2. Pick a monitoring site: http://frogwatch.fieldscope.org/v3/maps/170 3. Study frog and toad calls: http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DEP/water/frogs-and-toads.html Or http://www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/Plants_Wildlife/herps/Anura/fieldguide_OrderAn ura.asp 3. Create a FieldScope username: http://frogwatch.fieldscope.org/v3 4. Monitor
- 25. Questions?? Resources: • Powerpoints: http://www.slideshare.net/FrogWatch • Montgomery County FrogWatch: www.mygreenmontgomery.org/frogwatch • FrogWatch USA: http://www.aza.org/frogwatch/ • FieldScope Tutorials: http://www.aza.org/current- frogwatch-volunteers/ • Fieldscope Data Entry: http://frogwatch.fieldscope.org/v3
Editor's Notes
- Thank you for registering and coming. Our Second Year Introduction to chapter coordinators Sign in and forms
- Overview of training topics.
- Very large and populated county. Only second to Baltimore City within MD for average number of people per square mile. With the vast amount of streams in such a populated county it is important we protect our waterways and the animals that live there.
- Explanation of what FrogWatch is Is for all ages and families. Volunteers are encouraged to monitor in groups for safety and to ensure the quality of their data. Citizen Science is… A research collaboration between scientists and volunteers Expands opportunities for scientific data collection, while providing access to scientific information to community members Appropriate for large-scale, long term data
- Montgomery County pre-registered sites are Stormwater Management Ponds owned and maintained by DEP. Never before been monitored.
- 2 volunteer trainings Each group assigned a site to monitor once a week or once every other week, dependent upon how many groups are assigned per site. Each monitoring period is 3 minutes long with a 2 minute acclimation period. Monitoring period should be around a total of 30 minutes depending on distance from monitoring location. Must enter data at a timely manner directly online to FieldScope Save data sheets and bring to second training for chapters to review for data quality.
- Frogs and toads are part of the order Anura within the class Amphibia, or more commonly amphibians The word amphibian means “living a double life” from the greek “amphi” meaning both and “bios” meaning life. They have this name because they live part of their life in water and part on land One of the oldest vertebrate classes alive, appearing on Earth about 350 million years ago Group Activity (Index Cards what’s the difference between frogs and toads ~5 minutes long)
- Tadpoles eat algae and help clean our waterways Tadpoles are preyed on my fish As adults, frogs and toads consume mostly insects. Helps control insects that may be agricultural pests or carry diseases such as West Nile virus Are preyed on my birds, snakes, and other small animals. Approximately 10% of the Nobel prizes in physiology and medicine have resulted from investigations using frogs (Tyler, et al. 2007. How frogs and humans interact: Influences beyond habitat destruction, epidemics and global warming. APPLIED HERPETOLOGY 4: 1-18) Sensitive to the Environment: Permeable skin transfers oxygen and moisture, but also allows chemicals to enter their bodies Life cycle includes time both in the water and on land, increasing exposure to all types of pollutant
- Over past 20 years, scientists have reported dramatic declines in amphibian populations around the world Globally, almost one out of every third amphibian species is threatened with extinction In the United States, 38 amphibians are listed under the Endangered Species Act In Montgomery County there are no threatened or endangered frog and toad species Primary causes of decline Pollutants = pesticides, herbicides, light pollution cause mutations Climate change = droughts drying up ponds before tadpoles go through metamorphosis Parasite and disease
- Divide into groups of 3-4 and sort the characteristics based on whether you think they belong with the Frog or Toad
- Go over group activity on flipchart
- FrogWatch monitoring conducted at wetlands Need water to breed Wetlands are defined by…
- Other for soft bottomed streams etc.
- 8 pre-registered sites by DEP Register your own: LEGALLY ACCESSIBLE Safe Convenient Quiet
- (Handout of site registration form for volunteers to review later)
- Appropriate weather conditions Too rainy or windy cannot hear calls Monitor at night bc frogs and toads are nocturnal Not below freezing in the previous 48 hours (check on this) can be below freezing in past 48 hours; part of data sheet asks this question
- Talk about safety DO NOT ENTER ANY WATER BODIES Stay at least 5 feet from water’s edge Recommend monitoring in groups If alone, tell someone where you will be Always bring a cell phone Wear bright clothing
- Fill out forms, Ideally before you even get out of the car.
- Be quiet for at least 2 minutes before initiating the monitoring session so frogs and toads acclimate to your presence. Cup hands around your ears and listen quietly for precisely 3 minutes. Use a watch to time this duration accurately. Listen to, identify, and remember all breeding calls occurring in the session. If the monitoring session is interrupted by noise, restart it, including the 2 minute acclimation period. Noises include car horn, loud truck or train passing by. Immediately following the 3-minute monitoring session, enter the start and stop times on the Datasheet. List all species heard during the monitoring session and rate their calling intensity. If uncertain about a species identification, do not report it. If no calls were heard during the monitoring session, enter “No Calls Heard” on the Datasheet. Good data documents both the presence and absence of breeding calls.
- Click FiledScope Ask how many people have internet access If you do not have internet access: -Or Mail data sheets to Montgomery County DEP c/o FrogWatch 255 Rockville Pike Suite 120 Rockville, MD 20850