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How to Protect a Local Frog From Becoming Extinct

Frogs are vulnerable creatures, and across the United States some populations are being threatened or driven to extinction. Protecting a local frog species from going extinct is challenging, but people can do many things to help protect frogs. The most important part of protecting local frogs is to preserve and protect their native habitat, along with increasing awareness about the risks to native frog species.

Instructions

- 1
  Look up your local frog-watching organization by typing "frog watch" and your city name into a search engine. Frog-watching organizations are run by governments or charities and use volunteers to help observe and count local frog populations. Volunteers will learn how to identify local frogs and their calls. These organizations collect important data that can lead to new laws that protect local frogs.
- 2
  Join local movements that help conserve wetlands, which are important habitats for frogs. Wetland protection movements can use volunteers of all ages to protect local frogs by doing things like writing letters to government officials encouraging them to protect wetlands, cleaning trash from wetlands or raising awareness about wetlands protection.
- 3
  Read your city's swimming pool bylaws. Some cities prohibit the draining of swimming pools into storm drains. Storm drains direct rainwater, which is harmless, into lakes and streams. However, pool water contains dangerous chemicals like chlorine that can hurt the local frog populations. Follow your city's swimming pool bylaws and report those who violate them.
- 4
  Avoid flushing cleaners, medications or other household products down the toilet or sink. Water treatment plants can remove most impurities from the water, but they cannot remove hormones or chemicals. Local frogs are very vulnerable to these chemicals and can mutate or die out when the chemicals reach the ponds, rivers and streams where they live.
- 5
  Find the vernal pools in your area. A vernal pool is a temporary wetland that appears during the spring and during rainy seasons when excess water creates a small pond or swampy area. The vernal pool is usually completely dry in the fall and winter. Vernal pools are essential breeding grounds for local frog and toad species that lay their eggs in these pools of water. Local organizations that protect wetlands may also work to raise awareness about vernal pools, and may use volunteers to perform trash cleanups.

Nature