About the Program
In 2011, Skagit Land Trust volunteers set out to search for the Oregon Spotted Frog on SLT properties in partnership with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Forest Service. Part of this project involved tracking the health of other native and non-native amphibians. In 2013-14, SLT worked with partners in Whatcom County to expand their amphibian monitoring program (WCAMP) in order to establish an amphibian health baseline and understand the occurence of amphibians on SLT properties. This monitoring program is supported by dedicated community scientist volunteers. Information gathered will be submitted to WDFW and made publically available. Today, Skagit Land Trust has a robust team of community scitentist to monitore key Trust owned areas to gain a more clear and region picture of the amphibiam populations.
Why should we care about amphibians?
Amphibians are a vital central component of native ecosystems, serving as prey and predators. Due to their permeable skins, they are excellent indicators of environmental health. These sensitive creatures can tell us a lot about whether we are doing enough to protect important habitat.
Community Scientists Are Key!
Late winter and early spring volunteer community scientists complete a training session and commit to helping for 12-20 hours during the egg laying season.
Thank you so much for helping us track amphibians on Skagit Land Trust properties!
Interested in joining us this year? please email Stacy Dahl, stacyd@skagitlandtrust.org
Amphibian Identification Resources
whatfrogs.org - The Whatcom Amphibian Monitoring Project's reference website - great identification sheets and guides!
Washington Herp Atlas - A cooperative project of the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and US Forest Service (USFS), providing the most current information available on Washington's herpetofauna.
http://www1.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/herp/
http://www.californiaherps.com/
Thanks to Vikki Jackson and the Whatcom Amphibian Monitoring Project (WCAMP) for guidance on our program!