Metroparks Meetup: “Frogtown” Frog Survey is Underway

SWANTON, Ohio (WTVG) - Toledo didn’t get the nickname “Frogtown” for nothing…

The Metroparks are currently conducting their annual survey of frogs in Oak Openings because those little amphibians are more important than you may realize.

The annual spring frog survey has been going since the beginning of March and it runs through the end of May.

“We started this survey in 1994,” said Kim High, Metroparks Master Interpreter. “It’s the longest running survey in Ohio, and it really helps us track those frog populations which are very important to our Oak Openings region.”

These frogs are a little shy and hard to find, but their familiar call far exceeds their 1″ size. For them to make noise, there needs to be water in a ditch or other low lying area, and the frogs get much louder when temps are warm, and winds are light. So far this spring, volunteers have observed the frogs emerging right on schedule.

“The volunteers walk a half-hour after sunset, every night. They walk slowly down this path behind us, it’s the Wabash Cannonball… and they count the frogs that they hear as they pass them,” explained High.

Volunteers record the species based on the sound and how many of each. It’s a nice stroll through nature while collecting vital data for monitoring our local environment.

“We need clean air and water in a healthy ecosystem,” said High. “Oak Openings has globally rare ecosystems, so we really want to track the indicator species like frogs to know how they’re doing.”

The news is good: over the past 3 decades the frog population has remained steady and in good shape.

“Toledo’s changed so much, but to know that we have 10 species of frogs in the whole Toledo area and 9 of them out here at Oak Openings, that’s pretty exciting,” High told us. “Most people don’t realize we have that many species of frogs and toads.”

It’s not just here at Oak Openings, you can hear the frogs at any of the Metroparks. And remember, the most likely time to hear them is during calm evenings, especially as the weather gets warmer.

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