The Minnesota Frog and Toad Calling Survey is back!
The Minnesota Frog and Toad Calling Survey (MFTCS) is a volunteer based community science program sponsored by the DNR’s Nongame Wildlife Program. The goal of the MFTCS is to monitor frog and toad populations statewide. The program originally ran from 1994-2017, and volunteers collected thousands of observations of Minnesota’s frogs and toads that provided valuable information on the locations of species throughout the state and on changes in population abundance and distribution over time.
The original survey ended after the 2017 season, and re-launching the MFTCS is a priority for Nongame Wildlife’s new Community Science Program. Frogs and toads are key indicators of ecosystem health, and we need help from community scientists to collect data on frogs and toads statewide.
How does it work?
Surveyors run their routes after dark. Each route has ten roadside stops where volunteers stop and listen to the frogs and toads that are calling. Different frog and toad species breed and call at different times during the season, so it is important that volunteers repeat their route during three different survey periods in order to detect all of the species that are present. Surveyors record all of the frog and toad species that they hear at each stop, as well as weather and other basic information.
Who can participate?
Only volunteers who have previously participated in the survey are eligible to participate in the 2023 season. We are still working on building program capacity and we look forward to inviting more volunteers in the future! Please email us at [email protected] to be added to the list for future program offerings.
If you are not a former volunteer but would still like to participate in frog and toad conservation initiatives now, please check out these options:
Learn more about Minnesota's frogs and toads
Minnesota is home to many frog and toad species, and you can learn more about them over in our frog and toad guide.