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Contents
1.  What you can do
2.  Water
3.  Ecology
4.  Amphibians
5.  Environmental Issues
6.  Keystone species
7.  Get Wet!-
     Field Study Ideas

8.  The Zoo Experience
9.  Frogs & Friends
10. Case Studies
11. Resources
12. Glossary

Wetland Curriculum Resource
Unit 5. Environmental Issues -

5.11 "LOOK WHAT I FOUND"
(Level: k-6 : 7 : 10 appl : 11 appl : 12 acad)

Purpose: To encourage students to realize the importance of amphibian sightings, and to report their findings.

What You Need: data collection sheet from Exercise 2.9, Sally Mander's Favourite Place or designed by students

Added Info:

In order to understand our impact on amphibians and their habitat, we must first know and record where they occur and in what numbers. Data collection is very important as it allows us to compare numbers and range from year to year. Encouraging students to inventory their community is a positive step in establishing distribution and numbers.

What You Do:

  1. Discuss with students how they can contribute to amphibian research by reporting their sightings of amphibians in their community.
  2. Students can record their data on this data sheet (also available here if you cannot display pop-up windows), taken from Exercise 2.9 ":Sally Mander's Favourite Place" or they can design one of their own. Be sure to include the following information:
    • name of observer
    • the species observed
    • date
    • exact location
    • habitat type
    • comments (was it calling, under a log or stone, dead on road, sitting on the edge of pond, raining, sunny day, etc.)
  3. Submit the data sheet to the Amphibian Interest Group, c/o Toronto Zoo, 361A Old Finch Road, Scarborough, ON M1B 5K7. Selected submissions will be published in the Group's Newsletter. Data collected is used in a long term study of urban amphibian populations.

ZOO LINK (Keeping Records at the Zoo)

Data collection is very important to the successful management of zoo animals, and zoos provide the opportunity for the close up observation of animals which may be of benefit in planning for their survival in the wild. The Toronto Zoo is one of about 1,000 accredited zoos worldwide that belong to professional organizations which enforce standards and promote cooperation among their members. One aspect of this collaboration is participation in the International Species Inventory System (Intermediate/SeniorIS). ISIS is a large database contains selected data about more than 400,000 zoo animals living in more than 400 zoos in 40 countries around the world.

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