Mount Rainier National ParkPage 65 of 110
Mount Rainier's citizen scientists: counting toads and sampling dragonflies for mercury
Citizen scientists document the timing of stages in the western toad: egg string, tadpoles, a larva undergoing metamorphosis and a recently metamorphosed juvenile. NPS photos.
More than 300 volunteers have given about 5,000 hours since 2009 to a program that watches over the wet places of Mount Rainier National Park, and in 2023 a record 53 of them documented wetlands drying early at western toad breeding sites, and tadpoles suffering for it. The program has two parts: amphibian monitoring and the Dragonfly Mercury Project.
Why water, and why amphibians
Mount Rainier covers 236,381 acres in Washington State, with about 385 lakes and over 400 streams. Its lakes, streams, ponds and wetlands are crucial habitat for amphibians, many of which spend much of life in or near water. Climate change brings warmer water, worse water quality and drier conditions, which can hurt them, so how many amphibians there are can show the condition of a species and also act as an indicator of water quality and ecosystem health.
Fourteen amphibian species are known in the park, nine salamanders and five frogs. One of particular interest is the western toad, a candidate for listing by Washington State. It is rare in the park and actively monitored.
What volunteers do
- Amphibian monitoring. Volunteers help monitor populations across the park, concentrating on sites where western toads are known. They record the timing of the toads' life stages and note changes in sensitive breeding habitats such as ephemeral wetlands and busy areas next to trails.
- Dragonfly Mercury Project. The park joined this nationwide effort of the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Park Service and other partners in 2014. Dragonfly larvae are predators and collect mercury from their prey, so they give a snapshot of the mercury in their wetland. In 2023, 32 volunteers collected larvae at three sites. The data should help policy makers and managers make decisions to reduce mercury's harm to public health and wildlife.
The program's goals are to involve volunteers in field science, to monitor amphibians, particularly western toads, and to give the Park Service data on the status of the park's aquatic environments.
Survey sites are located throughout Mount Rainier National Park. NPS graphic.
Results
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Volunteers since 2009 | Over 300, about 5,000 hours; ranges of ages, backgrounds and experience |
| Amphibian species recorded | Eight, three salamanders and five frogs, at 196 sites between 2009 and 2023 |
| Western toad | Two new breeding sites identified; decreasing water in wetlands and tadpole deaths in drier conditions documented; newly metamorphosed toads at higher elevations substantially smaller than those at lower elevations, which may affect their survival through the first winter |
| 2023 | The program resumed after a 3-year hiatus with a record number of volunteers, 53; early wetland drying at toad breeding sites and its effect on tadpoles documented; larvae collected at three sites |
Volunteers also helped learn about toxins in the park's lakes and wetlands by collecting samples, and observed thousands of amphibians while day-hiking and backpacking. These clues help managers study and protect amphibians more strategically in a changing climate and in areas with many visitors.
Joining in
Surveys run each summer from July through September, and no prior experience is needed.
Sources
- National Park Service, Aquatic Citizen Science at Mount Rainier; rewritten in hubnx's own words.