C.A.M.P. Volunteers are Needed

Menunkatuck Audubon Society will once again conduct spring amphibian surveys as part of the Connecticut Amphibian Monitoring Project and is looking for volunteers to assist in this important work.

The Connecticut Amphibian Monitoring Project (C.A.M.P.) gathers data on amphibian populations across the state and promotes the awareness of conservation issues surrounding amphibians. There is growing concern among scientists throughout the world over apparent declines in amphibian populations and an increased incidence of malformations and disease in frogs.

Amphibians are excellent indicators of environmental health due to a number of inherent biological and ecological factors, including permeable skin, low population mobility and a complex life cycle with both aquatic and terrestrial stages.

Because of annual fluctuations and natural variability, long-term studies are required to accurately assess population trends. The monitoring program will study 13 randomly selected, 1.5 square mile survey blocks throughout the state over a 15-year period.

Volunteers are trained to identify the 22 species of amphibians native to Connecticut and on how to use standard amphibian census techniques, like frog call surveys, salamander cover searches and night road transects for migrating amphibians.

Information gathered from the project will provide a baseline for analyzing changes in relative species diversity and abundance of Connecticut amphibian populations. The results may aid future conservation planning efforts by providing an indication of how various amphibian species and populations respond to different land uses.

Menunkatuck has been a partner in C.A.M.P. since 1998 and is responsible for surveying the Podunk site in Madison. If you are interested in participating, contact John Picard at camp@menunkatuck.org.