Training

See also: California Red Legged Frog, Habitat Restoration

Intended audience included:  biological consultants, land managers, researchers, and regulatory agency personnel.

Workshop Details:

Workshop registration included a classroom lecture and afternoon field component on May 15.  Registration also included attendance at one of two night time field training sessions on the evenings of either May 15 or May 16.  Night training was from 8:00 pm until midnight.  More information on the field training sessions can be found on the Coastal Training Program website.

Workshop Objectives:

This was a great opportunity to receive training in species identification, field sampling techniques, and the habitat requirements of the California red-legged frog (CRLF). Workshop information will be useful for conservation planning and for educational outreach to agricultural producers and others who are considering projects that may impact CRLF. The workshop also provided foundational knowledge for monitoring projects with potential impacts to CRLF. Minor regulatory and permitting information was included in this workshop.

Workshop Format:

May 16 Classroom Session (8:00am-2:00pm)- An overview of the biology and management of the California red-legged frog.

May 16 Afternoon Session (2:00pm-6:00pm) - Field trip to Elkhorn Ranch and Native Plant Nursery, 1957B Highway 1, Moss Landing; Habitat requirements and assessment, pond designs, equipment demonstrations, tadpole identification and survey techniques. Personal vehicles required to travel to field sites, liability release form required.

Night Field Practicum (either May 15 or May 16, 8:00pm-midnight) - Registration included attendance at one of the two field training sessions to Elkhorn Ranch.  In order to reduce teacher:student ratio, field sessions were limited to 12 participants. 

The night sessions were at Elkhorn Ranch and Native Plant Nursery, 1957B Highway 1, Moss Landing.  Personal vehicles required for travel to the field sites and a liability release forms were required.  Instructors demonstrated decontamination techniques, detecting frog eye shine, and capturing, handling, sexing, and measuring tadpoles and/or adult frogs.