Volunteers across Iowa are once again heading out at night to track frog and toad populations as part of a long-running statewide survey.
The annual effort, coordinated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, began April 1 and has been collecting data for more than 35 years. The survey helps document population trends, identify gaps in data, and measure how land use and changing precipitation levels affect amphibians.
Since the standardized survey began in 1991, more than 600 volunteers have monitored 2,371 sites across 96 of Iowa’s 99 counties, making over 45,000 visits on more than 7,100 nights. The 2025 results show recent trends continuing, with bullfrogs, green frogs, and cricket frogs slightly increasing, while American toads, eastern gray treefrogs, and spring peepers are seeing slight declines.
About 140 volunteers participated last year, including 33 newcomers.
