North American Amphibian Monitoring Program

Georgia has participated in the North American Amphibian Monitoring Program, or NAAMP, since 2008. Developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, NAAMP is an international study investigating the distribution and relative abundance of amphibians in North America. Standardized monitoring data collected from across the country is analyzed for patterns of amphibian stability or decline on local, regional and national levels.

Volunteers are asked to drive a predetermined route (or routes), stopping for five minutes to listen for and report frog species and their relative abundance at 10 established wetland stops. Three windows of listening periods are designated to account for the seasonal activity differences between various species, so each route is run three times per year.

Additionally, each volunteer must annually pass (65 percent or greater) an online frog call identification quiz.

The goal for Georgia is to have all 78 routes covered and beyond and are encouraging interested potential volunteers to bone up on their frog call ID skills and join us in this study. The need is keen in southern Georgia, where the program is really lacking coverage.

Georgia frog calls can be listened to on several websites (links below), or you can buy the "Calls of the Wild - Vocalizations of Georgia's Frogs" CD from the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division's Nongame Conservation Section (details: 478-994-1438).

Hone your skills with these resources:

http://jcmaerz.myweb.uga.edu/lab/GANAAMP/index.htm

http://wwknapp.home.mindspring.com/GAFrog.Toad.html

www.ugapress.org/AmphibsAndReptiles

If interested and qualified for participation in NAAMP, please contact Georgia NAAMP Coordinator John Jensen of the Nongame Conservation Section at (478) 994-1438 or john.jensen@gadnr.org.