Greetings!

We have received reports of Western Chorus Frogs (March 13) and wood frogs (March 15) calling in Carden and around Fenlon Falls. Thanks to Ellen, Alysha, Ann and Neil who notified me of these observations. It also looks like there was a Wood Frog migration around Carthew Bay last night as multiple were reported on iNaturalist.

More northern sites have not had much activity yet. I drove by Wilson Point Wetland and Grant Wetland last night and we found 1 very cold green frog on the road, but the site was otherwise quiet. The ditches were still pretty snowy and icy in areas. For teams with more shaded or forested sites, it is likely still be too early for monitoring.

If you are a monitor with a site in Carden or Carthew Bay, you can start planning your first visits. Volunteers at other sites can wait until things warm up a bit more.

In the meantime, I have made some final revisions to the monitoring manuals, which you can download from the links below. If you would like a printed version, let me know and I can get one ready for you to pick up from the Couchiching Conservancy office.

Read through this newsletter for more useful info on planning visits, available resources, and more.

Thanks and I look forward to another season of frog monitoring!
Aiesha Aggarwal
Conservation Analyst
Frog monitoring program coordinator
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Useful Links:
Updated Monitoring Manuals
If you attended the March 6th or 7th training, we discussed changes to the monitoring protocols. I appreciate the volunteer feedback that I received during those training sessions. I have taken your feedback into account, and finalized the protocols. Please download the updated manuals:
Daytime Monitoring
Evening Monitoring
First visit should be done once night temperatures are above 5°C, or once chorus frogs have been reported calling in the region

Plan to make visits when air temperature is at or above 5°C. (Previously, we said 10°C, but literature shows that Western Chorus Frogs may call at temperatures as low as -1°C).

3 visits, at least 24 hours between each visit
Pre-Visit: March to early April. The Couchiching Conservancy will notify you when frogs begin calling in the region. Making a visit at this time will contribute to studies of climate and shifts in the start of the frog call season. If frogs don’t begin calling until mid-April, then this visit isn’t necessary.

Visit 1: April 14-21
Visit 2: May 14-21
Visit 3: June 14-21
Planning Your Visits
Daytime Monitors: The forecast for this weekend is looking good for monitoring. It looks like temperatures will then drop for a few days. But after March 25th it will warm up again so that would be another good time to plan visits.

Evening Monitors: the pre-visit is not mandatory this year since it is late notice, but you are welcome to do one if you like. The purpose of the pre-visit is to get observations of chorus frogs, woods frogs, and early callers. The last week of March or first week of April may be a good time for your pre-visit. Monitors in Carden and Carthew Bay may want to make a visit sooner than that since Wood Frogs have already been observed in those areas.


Volunteers at new sites: If you are a new volunteer, have a new monitoring partner, or are at a new monitoring site, please email me to plan a time for me to accompany you for monitoring.

If you have any questions or need assistance with calculating areas for the visual survey, let me know!
Connecting Frog Monitors
During training, there was a request for a way for frog monitors to be able to connect with one another to share observations and issues.

The easiest way may be to have an email chain that volunteers can choose to join.

If you have an idea for an easier way for volunteers to connect, I am open to ideas!
Would you be interested in joining an email chain to connect with other frog monitors?
Yes
No
EdApp


There are frog ID quizzes on EdApp to practice visual and auditory ID skills.

This app also has a playlist of frog reference frog calls. This playlist can be downloaded for offline use so that you can use it to verify frog calls while in the field without using your phones data.
If you do not have an EdApp account but would like to use it, you can sign up here, or email me (aiesha@couchconservancy.ca) for assistance.
Other Frog Monitoring Opportunities
Blazing Star Environmental (the organization that we have sent chorus frog data to in the past) is starting up a project to fill in data gaps in the WCF range and improve understanding of WCF distribution in Ontario.

They are looking for 50 dedicated volunteers to conduct surveys at priority regions in Ontario. Their protocols for surveys are similar to the ones we use.

If you are interested in this, send me an email and I will provide you with more information and connect you with Blazing Star Environmental.
Get In-Touch


Aiesha Aggarwal
Conservation Analyst
Phone: 705-326-1620
You are receiving this email because you are a Frog Monitor with The Couchiching Conservancy. Please let us know if things have changed and you can no longer volunteer, or do not wish to receive these emails. 
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