Recordpub.com - If you listen closely, the frogs are calling Hiram College, park district to conduct annual survey

By Mike Sever
Record-Courier staff writer
Do you know your frog calls?
Hiram College and the Portage Park District are teaming up for the annual Frog Calling Survey, which helps identify what species are present in the area at certain times this spring.
Why be concerned about what frogs, if any, are active?
"Frogs are a good indicator species for the environment and habitat," said Susan Blair, administrative assistant for the park district.
"They absorb things through their skins, so they're an indicator of pesticide levels in the habitat. By hearing when certain species are active, we can keep track of the changing temperatures," she said.
Spring peepers are out already, Blair said.
"They're trying to tell us something, maybe it's really spring."
There are records of when certain calls are first heard. "And there are a few species that aren't heard very often so they're listening for those," Blair said.
Three Thursday evening programs are scheduled for a Frog Calling Survey at Hiram College's Biological Field Station on S.R. 82. The programs are set for April 17, May 15 and June 19.
All programs will meet at the parking lot and begin at 6:30 p.m. Each program takes less than an hour and is for all ages.
Park personnel will talk about how to listen for frog calls, then the group will hike out to a good place to listen. At the conclusion, the group will recap what was heard.
The park district Web site (www.portageparkdistrict.org) has links to other sites with frog information, including recordings of various frog calls so you can identify what species you're listening to.