Cosley Zoo offers FrogWatch training
Frequent guests may already know Cosley Zoo is a proud supporter of environmental conservation, but they may not know they can get involved in the conservation themselves.
The zoo will host a training session for guests interested in volunteering for its chapter of FrogWatch USA from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 20, and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 29, at 1356 N. Gary Ave., Wheaton.
FrogWatch USA is the flagship citizen science program of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, which invites individuals and families to learn about wetlands and help amphibians by reporting the calls of local frogs and toads during the breeding season.
The zoo's chapter started in 2012, according to Alison LaBarge, zookeeper and head of Cosley Zoo's conservation team, and has welcomed more volunteers each year.
"More than anything else, I would say the FrogWatch program is about education and awareness," she said. "It enables individuals to learn a little bit more about their local wildlife and wetland habitats and what makes these things important. I think that an appreciation of the flora and fauna that lives right in your backyard goes a long way toward making people want to contribute to conservation efforts."
At the volunteer training sessions, guests can become familiar with local frog and toad calls, plus learn how to find a wetland site suitable for monitoring, appropriate monitoring protocols, and how to document their findings, said LaBarge.
"The collected data is submitted through a National Geographic mapping program called FieldScope," she said. "The information can then be compiled by the AZA. The nice thing about FieldScope is that anyone can view the data there, so it does have the potential to inform amphibian researchers about current population trends."
FrogWatch USA's conservation efforts are coming at a critical time in the future health of global amphibian populations.
"Over 2,000 amphibian species are currently threatened with extinction and many more are experiencing sharp population declines," said Tami Romejko, Cosley's education and guest experiences supervisor. "This alarming trend may be a sign of deteriorating wetland health because amphibians can serve as indicator species."
One major threat is the infectious fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which roughly translates to "frog chytrid." Chytrids are one of the oldest kinds of fungi and aren't usually parasitic, but Bd is an exception.
Bd penetrates into the amphibian's skin and hardens until the animal can no longer absorb water and salts, causing a condition called chytridiomycosis. Unlike other vertebrates, amphibians don't drink with their mouths, but their skin. Eventually the amphibian loses too much water and electrolytes and dies.
The fungus is actively spreading in South, Central, and western North America; the Caribbean; Australia; and Europe. A few species, like the American bullfrog and the African clawed frog, appear to have natural resistance to Bd. Research to investigate this resistance is ongoing.
But the amphibian's well-being is subject to other threats.
"There are a lot of factors contributing to global amphibian decline," LaBarge said. "Pollution, climate change, and habitat destruction, to name a few, are all major threats that amphibians are currently facing."
The FrogWatch training sessions cost $7 per person or $20 per household or group. Email frogwatchcosleyzoo@wheatonparks.org to register or for more information.
To learn more about FrogWatch USA, visit aza.org/amphibian-conservation. To learn more about Cosley Zoo's chapter of FrogWatch USA, plus the zoo's other environmental conservation initiatives, visit cosleyzoo.org, call (630) 665-5534, or stop in at the zoo.