Yesterday as I scanned photos from 1980, I decided to send photos of Green Frogs that were used as part of a province-wide scientific study that year. Project Frog invited schools from all over the province to participate and sent instructions and formaldehyde to science teachers who could have their students collect frogs, kill them and send the bodies to a central location where biologists could identify the species and locations of frogs around the province.
One reason for the study was to investigate if frogs were declining in numbers, or disappearing altogether. As a science teacher at the time, I didn't agree with killing a bunch of frogs just to determine how many there were, but I did agree with the main purpose. After a discussion of the study with my class, we took a trip to a nearby pond where students thought they had seen frogs in the past. We were lucky and found tadpoles as well as adult frogs. I photographed tadpoles in a bucket and adult frogs from all angles, including the underside. They were then released back to the pond unhurt. The slides were sent to scientists to help them identify the species of frogs in the area. By photographing the frogs, none were killed, but the purpose of the study was achieved. I think this was a valuable lesson for a group of young students and a good use of photography in the classroom.
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