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Home > Iowa Academy of Science > Journals & Newsletters > Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science > Volume 107 (2000) > Number 3-4

 

Document Type

Research

Keywords

Rana pipiens, road mortality, volunteers, public education

Abstract

Since spring of 1994, Hennepin Parks Natural Resources Management staff, assisted by numerous volunteers, has been working to reduce road mortality among migrating Northern Leopard Frogs (Rana pipiens) adjacent to Baker Park Reserve in Maple Plain, Hennepin County, Minnesota. A county road separates the overwintering site from breeding habitat within the park. With steadily increasing traffic over the years, this population of frogs was in serious decline. For the first two years (1994 and 1995) rescue efforts were limited to the spring collection of frogs as they migrated out of the overwintering lake coward the breeding wetlands, although the road was monitored in the fall. Beginning in 1996, fall rescue efforts were added with the set up of a temporary 800-foot (244 m) drift fence equipped with 5-gallon buckets placed at 50-foot intervals. Volunteers were utilized to empty buckets and to transport frogs across the road. While only 300 frogs were transported in spring 1994, approximately 5,925 frogs were transported in fall 1997. Information is presented that suggests that project efforts have reversed the trend of decline at this specific location. This report reviews the use of volunteers, signs, and a drift fence and the resulting nation-wide publicity that has helped to educate the public about factors causing amphibian decline.

Publication Date

September-December 2000

Journal Title

Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

107

Issue

3-4

First Page

209

Last Page

211

Copyright

© Copyright 2000 by the Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

EN

File Format

application/pdf

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