Spring is just a few weeks away. As the weather warms, we’ll start hearing male frogs and toads call for female attention. Did you know that frogs croaking is a good sign that the local water is not fouled? These excited amphibians are excellent environmental indicators. The more you hear, the better.
Join the UT Arboretum Society on Thursday, March 6, 7 p.m. EST via Zoom as Michelle Campanis, education coordinator at the University of Tennessee Arboretum, and naturalist Stephen Lyn Bales give us an overview of frogs and toads in East Tennessee.
The First Thursday Nature Supper Club presentation is hosted by the UT Arboretum Society each month. The class is free, but you must register to receive the Zoom link and recording. Register at www.utarboretumsociety.org under Programs. Closed captions are available.
Please contact Michelle at mcampani@utk.edu for any questions or registration issues.
There are 14 species of frogs and toads in the Tennessee Valley. In each case, the males croon to attract the females, but each species calls at a different time of the year and from different locations. You often do not see them because they are so well camouflaged to blend into their watery places, but you certainly hear them.
Watch this virtual presentation from the comfort of your own home. You do not even have to put on your shoes and leave home. But you may want to open a window to listen for frogs.
To contact Stephen Lyn Bales or buy one of his UT Press books, email him at hellostephenlyn@gmail.com.
The UT Arboretum Society celebrates its 60 anniversary in 2025; to learn more about the Arboretum Society, go here.
Melanie Staten is a public relations consultant with her husband, Vince.
