Tiered Mentoring Program If a frog calls in a wetland and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Dr. Carlos Martínez Rivera and Carrie Bassett (Akron Zoo)

The Akron Zoo is a leader in conservation education programs that involve the community. One such program, Frogwatch, is a community-based initiative where folks listen to anurans (toads and frogs) in selected wetlands throughout the spring and summer. The data they gather helps us monitor basic ecological trends, such as the presence of certain species, the onset of their breeding season (frogs only call during the mating season), and how intensely they call depending on external weather factors, like temperature and precipitation. With time, we can pick up trends, determine the status of their populations, and identify potential conservation issues.

Your work would go beyond helping us analyze the data gathered by our volunteers; you will also work directly in the wetlands inside the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the wooded lots inside the zoo to study the population structure of our local amphibians. We will do this by setting up automated audio recorders and by carrying out field observations at night.

What will you learn?

You will learn about the basics of anuran communication and acoustic ecology, help us analyze data and extract information from audio files. You will have a better understanding of the scientific process and method and the ability to answer your own ecological question regarding anuran behavior and we can help you publish those findings.

Commitment:

There will be a 10 hour/week expectation from up to two students. Some work will be carried out at the zoo in an office setting (or can be done remotely), while field work will be carried out at night during selected nights of high breeding activity (cold, wet, muggy, hot depending on the season) during late winter, spring, and early summer. The zoo will provide transportation to field sites.

Click here to learn more about Frogwatch and Dr. Martínez Rivera’s research.