Wisconsin DNR is looking for volunteers to help track frog and toad populations this spring and summer through statewide surveys.
3 Things To Know
- Volunteers help track all 12 frog and toad species across Wisconsin
- Surveys run from early spring through early summer
- No experience needed, just a willingness to listen and report
Wisconsin DNR seeks volunteers to track frog and toad calls this spring
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is putting out the call for volunteers to help monitor one of the state’s most unique seasonal sounds: the chorus of frogs and toads.
Each spring and summer, residents across Wisconsin can take part in the annual Wisconsin Frog and Toad Survey, a long-running community science effort that helps conservation experts track amphibian populations and long-term trends across the state.
Why it matters
For more than four decades, volunteers have played a key role in helping biologists understand where frogs and toads live, how their populations are changing and what environmental factors may be influencing them.
“Our volunteers, lovingly known as ‘froggers,’ are important advocates for frogs and toads in Wisconsin,” said Andrew Badje, DNR conservation biologist. “They are the beating heart of frog monitoring and conservation in Wisconsin, and they’re part of the longest-running community-based frog calling survey in North America.”
The data collected helps track all 12 frog and toad species found in Wisconsin, offering valuable insight into ecosystem health across the region.
How you can participate
Volunteers have three different ways to get involved, depending on their availability and interest level:
Traditional Frog and Toad Survey
Participants drive a preset route three times during the season
Each night includes 10 stops with five-minute listening periods
Volunteers record species and estimate how many are calling
Mink Frog Survey
Focused on northern Wisconsin where mink frogs are found
Includes both daytime and nighttime listening sessions
Typically runs in June and early July
Phenology Survey
Volunteers monitor a single wetland location
Tracks when frogs and toads begin calling each spring
Flexible schedule with frequent short observations
A long history of impact
Since the survey began, volunteers have logged more than 12,300 nights in the field and monitored over 120,900 sites statewide.
That effort is already showing results. Recent data points to increasing populations of American bullfrogs and Blanchard’s cricket frogs. Volunteers have also helped expand understanding of mink frog behavior in northern Wisconsin.
Supporting frog conservation
The program is supported in part by Wisconsin’s Endangered Resources Fund, which helps protect native species and habitats. Residents can contribute through donations, including on their state income tax forms.
If you have ever stepped outside on a warm spring night and heard that unmistakable chorus, this is your chance to turn it into something bigger. Wisconsin’s wetlands are talking. The DNR is just asking for a few more ears.
