On September 22, the Environmental Science class from Silver Creek High School had the opportunity to go to the Rinker Ranch south of Bellevue and study spotted frogs.

Working with the University of Idaho, the students implemented a monitoring program that would allow them to evaluate the effects of Cattle Grazing Management and restoration activities on amphibians. The student groups worked on a stream section at which they would conduct surveys for spotted frogs. They were introduced to the ranch and relevant land-use activities, and they discussed the ecology of spotted frogs while collecting data on the different types of frogs in the area.

The entire exercise took the better part of the day. Survey data collected by students will be included in the University of Idaho monitoring database for the ranch and would be available for classes to use if teachers are having students conduct data summaries or analyses.

The goals for this exercise were to 1) obtain good quality data on spotted frog occurrence at the ranch, and 2) provide students with exposure to issues relevant to rangeland ecology and a hands-on, field-based data collection experience.  The Environmental Science class at Silver Creek High School came back to school excited and thrilled with the experience they shared together.

The students appreciated the hands-on experience which helps them understand how everything is connected.  They enjoyed a fun day of learning on this beautiful September day.