Welcome to the FrogWatch Saskatchewan website!

By participating in this program you will help to increase our knowledge of frogs and toads in Saskatchewan. Frogs and toads are a part of local biodiversity - the amazing variety of life around us. Conserving biodiversity is essential to the health of the planet and the welfare of humankind. Frogs and toads also have a special role to play in keeping the environment healthy. Perhaps because they live "on the edge" between water and land, frogs and toads are very sensitive to pollution and other environmental changes.

There has been increasing concern, world-wide, regarding observed declines in many populations of amphibians. In many cases environmental quality, particularly water quality and associated airborne pollutants, has been suspect. In eastern Canada the well documented relationship between acid rain and declines in aquatic organisms, and the decline of sugar maple forest stands, are examples of this type of environmental concern. There is some evidence to suggest that populations of various species of amphibians in eastern Canada may be declining in response to these problems.

In western Canada acid rain and atmospheric pollutants, and their effects upon aquatic organisms, have not been considered to be as great a threat. This is primarily due to some natural buffering of soils in western Canada, and less concentrated sources of airborne contaminants, which result in a reduced risk to various ecosystems. This is not to say that vigilance and continued control of airborne emissions in western Canada can be any less stringent!

However, there is some evidence that suggests some populations of amphibians in western Canada have also declined. The northern leopard frog is now considered a rare species in the Prairie Provinces compared to perceptions of much greater abundance in previous decades. There is no information to indicate whether other species of amphibians have declined in abundance or have been reduced in their distribution in Saskatchewan and other Prairie Provinces. In prairie Canada recurring drought can be expected to be an important factor regulating population size and recruitment. In the case of the leopard frog disease was suspected to be a cause of dramatic declines in Manitoba but this was not confirmed despite. The risk to amphibians from herbicide and pesticide contamination of wetlands is a concern which, at present, has not been evaluated.

One of the first steps to address this situation is the development of a program in Saskatchewan to monitor amphibian populations over the long-term. The intent is to develop a network of observers who can monitor presence and relative abundance of amphibians over the years. This network will be supplemented in some locales by more intensive research studies to assess environmental, land use, and human impacts over time. The membership of the Saskatchewan Natural History Society, its affiliated local societies, rural residents, and school and youth groups throughout Saskatchewan are expected to be important participants in this volunteer effort. The project was initiated as part of an international effort guided by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Task Force on Declining Amphibian Populations. In Canada this project is being delivered by a national group with national and regional directors and provincial co-ordinators.

Monitoring of calling male frogs can provide information regarding presence and for developing an index to abundance and is a technique that can be implemented by volunteers. It is clear that volunteer participation for this type of program must be convenient for volunteers in order for the program to succeed. Ideally the monitoring sites will be in close proximity to the homes of volunteers. This will allow participant to have evening walks with the family or dog, or a evening drive to a survey route, which can be a pleasant activity for natural history oriented individuals! There will also be opportunities for more detailed observations.

This activity can be an interesting supplement to early spring birding activities. Calm, warm evenings in the spring are an appealing outdoor experience when the choruses of frogs and toads mingle with the various birdcalls and the occasional calls of great horned owls! Volunteers can establish a route to monitor, or monitor a single pond, or do both if they like. All observations can be valuable contributions to the Saskatchewan Herpetology Atlas Project as well.

We need your help and want you to become a Frogwatch-Saskatchewan volunteer observer. Becoming a volunteer is very easy. All you need to do is learn the frog and toad calls, choose a location to listen for calls, record your observations, and send your observations to us via our website. Your information will be entered into a database and you will be able to view a map showing your observation location and the location of other Frogwatch volunteers in Saskatchewan. Follow the Step by Step Instructions to become a FrogWatch Saskatchewan volunteer observer.

Happy Listening!