| What Do I Need To Be A TAMP Volunteer? | ||
|
|
Welcome to TAMP! To begin with you need to have a passion for field work, and a desire to carefully collect data on the calling activity of the twenty two species of frogs and toads in Tennessee. In order to accurately document what you hear along your route you will need a good working knowledge of the vocalizations of each species, and the ability to identify each species by sight. Volunteers must be 18 to run a TAMP route alone. We do allow younger volunteers to participate if they are accompanied by an adult. This is for safety reasons. Volunteers will need to complete either the 4 hour TAMP workshop at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, or complete the online version of the workshop. Once a year volunteers will need to pass an online quiz (under construction) to make sure your knowledge of anuran vocalizations is current. This is an "open book" quiz, and volunteers can take it as many times as they want until they get a passing grade. Volunteers should know which frog species would be new county records for the county(ies) in which their route is located. This information is in the Atlas of Tennessee Amphibians (see the Apps & Resources Page). Volunteers must run their TAMP route once each sampling period, for a total of four times per year. Listening runs must begin no sooner than 30 minutes after sunset. This means that on runs conducted in the summer months, volunteers may not get home till midnight, depending on how far your route is from your home. Volunteers will need the equipment described on the Equipment Suggestions page (see also the Apps and Resources page). Data sheets for each run must be either scanned and sent via e-mail or mailed by snail mail. New county records must be documented by a suitable photograph or recording. These will be sent to Austin Peay State University for approval. Approved records should be submitted to Herpetological Review. These records are quite valuable in documenting range changes for each species. Volunteers also gain by contributing to TAMP. They learn to identify Tennessee's frogs and toads by sight and sound, learn the habitats that each species prefers and learn when each species is active. Volunteers also encounter night birds and nocturnal animals. But perhaps the greatest benefits are those that don't show up on a data sheet. There are times when I'm standing by a wetland at twilight and I realize there's not other place I'd rather be. Whether I'm listening to a distant frog chorus, an owl or just enjoying the sound of the wind in the pines, just being out there is deeply satisfying. To begin this journey please contact Bob English at engc205@aol.com or (615) 210-8774. Thanks!
Cope's Gray Treefrog on Black Willow and rising gibbous Moon montage © 2017 Bob English LEAPS www.leaps.ms
|
What Do I Need To Be
Apps & Resources Sharpen Your
TAMP Data Sheets & Other Forms
|
