First of all, thank you for deciding to help BC Frogwatch! Every observation is important. We have several ways for you to Frogwatch:

• Out and About - Atlassing
• Signs of Spring - First Calling Date
• Pondwatching
• Road Call Counts

Whichever Frogwatching project you decide to do, when you see or hear an amphibian, fill out a Frogwatch Sighting Form. When you fill out the form online, the information goes into our database almost immediately, but you can also send us the form by fax or in the post. We have a printer-friendly sighting form, too, which you may like to bring with you on hikes just in case a Frogwatching opportunity comes along. We also have a brand-new Frogwatch Atlas - courtesy of the Community Mapping Network folks (CMN) - where you can determine the locations of your observations.

Before you go to the online form, please read and print out a copy of the instructions:

• How to fill out the Frogwatch Sighting Form (new and simplified!)
• NEW! Mapping of Frogwatch Sightings

You can learn how to identify amphibians by visiting our Who's Who page, where you can look at a list of frogs and toads in your region and read fact sheets about them, or use the step by step identification key to narrow down your search. You can also learn about different species at CARCNET's Great Canadian Amphibian Tour - try the quiz!

CARCNET's site has recordings of the different frog calls, with a quiz to test your new frogsong knowledge. You can also phone the EMAN Frog Call toll free phone line (1-888-31FROGS). Follow the instructions on our Contact Us page to hear different BC frog and toad songs.

Please be careful while you are out Frogwatching - read our Safety Tips.

Out and About - Atlassing

Atlassing is simply our name for a catch-all collection of general amphibian sightings all over the province. We are focussing on improving our knowledge of amphibian distributions in B.C. Basically, we need to know where the critters are - and the more eyes out there looking, the better!

We'll be working from museum collections and records for the historical distributions of the species, but we need your help to find out where they live now. We'll collect your sightings and map them. We'd like to hear about the species that live near you, as well as any you may encounter as you travel around the province.

Of course, atlassing does include amphibian observations that are heard rather than seen. (A good thing - many frogs and toads are very hard to spot!) Check out the calls at CARCNET's Amphibian Tour or call the EMAN Frog Call line (see Contact page). Who knows, you may discover you have an unknown talent for mimicking frogs!

Thank you for helping BC Frogwatch!

Signs of Spring

For many British Columbians, the singing of treefrogs or wood frogs signals the end of winter even more than the traditional first Robin of spring (we see Robins year round on the Coast… but the frogs are never fooled!).

Here at BC Frogwatch we would like to know about any amphibians you hear calling during the year, but we are especially interested in the time of year you hear the first calls. This will tell us when the breeding season begins. We will share that information with the Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network (EMAN), who will compare the times of first calling across Canada and over time. This will help us learn more about climate changes.

We'd like to know how many frogs you hear, too, whether it's a few isolated ones calling or a full-throated deafening chorus! We use a simple scale to describe calling intensity:

1. T (trace) - No frogs or toads heard
2. L (low) - individuals can be counted; calls not overlapping
3. M (medium) - some individuals can be counted; other calls overlapping
4. H (high intensity) - full chorus; calls continuous and overlapping; individuals not distinguishable

This scale appears as a pop-up menu, with descriptions, in the online Frogwatch Sighting Form. It corresponds to the four-point scale that EMAN uses, and makes comparisons between provinces possible.

Pond Watching

We don't have a formal Pondwatching program up and running yet - for an example of such a program, have a look at the Toronto Zoo's Adopt-a-Pond program. We are working with Wetlandkeepers and with Wild BC to produce an amphibian module for schools and for Wetlandkeeper groups to use; also in the works is a partnership with the South Okanagan "Puddle Project" to map and monitor small wetlands in that area. Have a look at our Future Frogwatching page and keep checking our "What's New" page for updates on this program.

In the meantime, if you have a favourite pond and would like to do some informal Pondwatching, then by all means go ahead! Start by making a detailed map of your pond, which you can attach to your data form. Visit your pond often, starting in early spring, and record your observations using our Frogwatch Sighting Form. You can record up to seven observations (different dates or species, as long as they are in the same location) on one form. Remember that it is just as important to keep track of when you did not hear any frogs!

When you make your observations you will get the best results by approaching the pond as quietly as you can, then standing still and quiet for a few minutes for the frogs to get used to your presence and begin calling once more.

Road Call Counts