Volunteers across Iowa are making regular trips outdoors after dark to participate in the state’s annual frog and toad survey, which began April 1. The long-running community science effort, overseen by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), has collected amphibian population data for more than 35 years. Since the standardized survey began in 1991, more than 600 volunteers have monitored 2,371 sites in 96 of Iowa’s 99 counties. Participants have made more than 45,000 visits during 7,146 survey nights. DNR Wildlife Biologist Stephanie Shepherd says, “This survey would not be possible without an army of volunteers over the years.” Recent data show that bullfrog, green frog, and cricket frog populations have increased slightly in recent years, while American toad, eastern gray treefrog, and spring peeper populations have declined somewhat. Chorus frogs, American toads, cricket frogs, and eastern gray treefrogs remain the most commonly recorded species. Volunteers conduct nighttime listening surveys at roadside stops along designated routes three times between April and July, recording the frog and toad calls they hear to help track species distribution and population trends. The frog and toad survey is just one of the many community-led data collection initiatives hosted by the DNR. Others include nest-monitoring programs, the Bumblebee Atlas, and the bat survey. Learn more about these volunteer opportunities and how to help at www.iowadnr.gov.
