Society seeks salamander-spotting citizen scientists

Do you ever catch site of spotted salamanders and wood frogs in the field? The Orianne Society wants to recruit you. From Living Alongside Wildlife:

The Orianne Society recently initiated "Snapshots in Time", a long-term Citizen Science project aimed at mobilizing people to monitor the timing of Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) and Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) breeding throughout the respective ranges of these species. The purpose of this project is to use the data collected—by on-the-ground citizens, year-after-year—to investigate possible effects of climate change on the timing of reproduction. Determining changes in the timing of breeding is very important, not just for these species, but others that use the same habitat. Ultimately, the results of this project could allow us to inform land managers and development planners of important areas for conservation and look deeper into what other species in these ecosystems may be negatively affected by climate change, including some endangered species.

Read more... Photo: kingsnake.com user nategodin