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At night, you can hear them croaking and chirping — little frogs that live in gardens and backyards. But the chorus of fly-catching amphibians is dwindling, say the experts. So the Santa Barbara Zoo is organizing volunteers to be part of the national “Frog Watch,” which has area folks taking count of the jumpers (toads are included). “Volunteers do not have to be frog or toad experts to join FrogWatch,” said Dr. Estelle Sandhaus, the zoo’s director of conservation and research, in a prepared statement. “They don’t even touch and rarely see the little critters, but instead are trained to listen for the croaks, peeps, trills, and other calls of common local species.” Those interested in helping with the cataloging need to attend two training sessions: Thursday, February 20, and Thursday, February 27, 6-8 p.m. To reserve a spot and for more information, email Dr. Sandhaus at esandhaus@sbzoo.org or visit sbzoo.org/conservation/frogwatch-usa.

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