Georgia DNR outreach coordinator teaches Metro Atlanta residents how to identify, protect frogs

Linda May, outreach coordinator for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Conservation Section, told a City of Milton Wildlife 101 webinar that Georgia has 32 frog species statewide and that about 16 to 18 species occur around Milton and North Fulton County.

“Bioindicator just means that it's a living creature that can tell us a little bit more, than maybe what we see with our own eyes on what's going on in the environment,” May said, explaining why frogs matter for local water and habitat health.

May described major frog groups (true frogs, tree frogs, cricket frogs and true toads), gave audio examples of common local calls, and urged residents to use simple habitat measures — leaving a vegetation buffer around ponds, keeping plant saucers cleaned or periodically emptied, and avoiding broadcast pesticides — to help amphibians and reduce mosquito problems.

The presentation highlighted species Metro Atlanta listeners are likely to encounter: green tree frog (a “happy,” bouncy call), squirrel tree frog (a chattering call), Cope’s gray tree frog (a loud trill), northern cricket frog (short taps like marbles), Fowler’s toad (a whining nasal call), American bullfrog (deep bellowing), and a handful of less common species such as the barking tree frog and eastern spadefoot toad. May noted two nonnative species of concern: the small greenhouse frog and the larger Cuban tree frog, the latter established along Georgia’s coast and potentially predatory on native frogs. She said cane toad occurrences have been rare but reported: “we've only had a few occurrences of these in the state,” and urged pet owners to keep animals away from toads because some toads secrete toxins.

May demonstrated basic identification cues and life‑cycle notes (eggs → tadpoles → metamorphosis) and explained why sound identification is often more reliable than color or pattern. She also debunked a common myth about disease transmission: “It's simply not true” that handling toads gives humans warts, she said, while cautioning that amphibians can carry Salmonella and that handling can harm frogs through transfer of lotions, salts or other contaminants. She advised wetting hands or using gloves if handling is necessary and otherwise observing without touching.

The webinar included practical conservation steps and monitoring options: create or retain small water features and downed logs, keep vegetative buffers around ponds, use mosquito dunks or mosquito fish where appropriate, and avoid broad‑spectrum pesticides that harm nontarget insects. For people interested in recording observations, May recommended iNaturalist/Seek, the Georgia Adopt‑A‑Stream frog monitoring option, and the Metro Atlanta Amphibian Monitoring Project (MAP; currently focused on Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb and Gwinnett counties). She said the DNR still distributes a frog-call CD and related cheat sheet for free via Charley Elliott Wildlife Center (info.cewc@dnr.ga.gov).

City of Milton host Jen Young (Ranger Jen) introduced the webinar and encouraged audience participation during the live audio examples and Q&A. Young noted the City’s Wildlife 101 series will continue with a program on black bears, and she posted program materials and future session links on MiltonGA.gov/wildlife101.

May stressed the role of public funding and volunteer support for nongame wildlife work: the Georgia wildlife specialty license plates cost an extra $25 per year and, she said, “we get 80% of that to our program,” money the Wildlife Conservation Section uses for outreach and monitoring because the section does not receive regular state tax‑dollar funding.

For residents who want to help frogs, May summarized immediate steps (protect pond buffers, avoid pesticides, check pools and install frog‑escape devices) and longer‑term participation (submit observations through iNaturalist or local monitoring programs). The webinar recording, PowerPoint, and the frog‑call cheat sheet will be posted on the City of Milton site and made available by Georgia DNR upon request.

May’s presentation combined species identification, habitat management tips and citizen‑science pathways so listeners could both enjoy frogs in their yards and contribute useful occurrence data to state biologists.