The Bay of Quinte Remedial Action Plan is once again looking for volunteers to monitor local wetlands.
Citizen scientists are needed for the FrogWatch Ontario and Marsh Monitoring programs.
BQRAP’s Sarah Midland-Jones says the FrogWatch program is a family friendly activity which asks people to monitor for frogs between May and June and submit their findings to the FrogWatch website.
“It’s got a great website, so if you don’t know your frog calls or whatever, it’s got samples on the website so it gives you all the information you need.”
The Marsh Monitoring program is a little more in depth asking people to monitor birds and frogs multiple times between May and July.
Midland-Jones says the information gives them a long-term data set, to see how the wetlands and their inhabitants are doing.
Wetland birds and frogs are good indicators of environmental health.
“Birds that totally rely on wetlands like rails and coots and things, there have been over the years, a decline. But birds that are not solely reliant like trumpeter swans, sandhill cranes, those sort of things, there’s been an uptick. So it’s sort of up, down, up, down how it’s going but it’s certainly giving us some good trends over the long term.”
She says frog populations have been staying fairly stable.
Everyone is welcome to join the programs which have been operating for more than 20 years.
“For the FrogWatch Ontario program, you can monitor anywhere. Like, say you’ve got a little marsh behind your property or something. Or there’s a little creek down the road. For the Marsh Monitoring program, there are selected sites that people can monitor.”
Anyone interested is encouraged to attend a virtual information session hosted by well-known local naturalist Terry Sprague on Monday, March 4 at 7 p.m.
“And it outlines, sort of all the protocols that people know. Tells them what to look for in their marsh. All those sort of things.”
Participants will also receive training and support through the Community Wildlife Monitoring Program.
Click here to register for Sprague’s presentation.
