On January 28th, the WHAS-sponsored citizen science amphibian egg-mass survey project kicked-off its third season. After 25 people participated in training at Lower Columbia College, seven volunteers surveyed Indian Jack Slough (IJS) near Cathlamet, finding 269 red-legged frog and 17 long-toed salamander egg masses. Russ and Ann Kastberg first surveyed IJS under the Clark County Citizen Science Amphibian Survey Project in 2008. Surveys focus on three pond areas this year. The “Red Barn” site, our baseline survey site, consists of an old creek channel and an open wetland. In addition, we are surveying two new areas the landowner, Columbia Land Trust, has restored and re-shaped into ponds. It was a successful and fun day, and a good start to a promising season!!
Repeat surveys at IJS as well as Germany Creek, the Mint Farm, Walt’s Pond (Kalama), Willow Grove, Castle Rock Sports Complex Ponds and the Structured Learning Center pond provide very valuable data on amphibian breeding locations and how the populations change over years. If a grant application submitted by Dr. Marc Hayes is approved, our data and survey sites will become part of a larger study called, “Maintaining Stillwater-Breeding Amphibians in Urbanizing Landscapes.”
WHAS gives a huge thank you to returning survey leaders: Tom Finn, Dan Friesz, Lynn Simpson, Maxine Nieman, Mara McGrath, and Russ Kastberg; and partners: City of Longview, Longview School District, 4-H Youth projects, City of Castle Rock, and Columbia Land Trust, who support surveys, many on their properties.
We need your help, as we conduct a minimum of three surveys at each site each year. You are welcome to join us whether you made the training or not, as more eyes help us find the masses more easily. You can train in the field!
Please join us. Give Ann Kastberg a call at 360-431-1129 or