We had a major breakthrough in our house last week. For years when asked what he wants to be when he grows up my son has responded, “I just want to live at home forever with my mom and dad.” A sweet sentiment for sure, but my husband and I began to have visions of a shaggy thirty-something living in our basement. Imagine my surprise when my son came home from school last week, plopped his backpack on our kitchen counter and announced, “I’ve decided I’m gonna work with animals when I grow up. Mom, can you help me make some mud so I can work with my frogs?” Before I could blink, he had pulled on his boots was digging frantically in the backyard, hollering for me to come check out the bug collection he’d amassed to feed his frogs.

A quick intervention was necessary since his amphibious frogs never leave their tank and aren’t bug eaters. I decided it might be time to do a little research into some other hands-on activities for my budding biologist. That’s when I stumbled upon Critter Count, which takes place right here in the ‘Couv at the Water Resource Center on Saturday, April 10.

This year marks the 10th Annual Critter Count and organizers anticipate drawing upwards of a hundred attendees. The event began a decade ago with Cory Samia, Wetlands and Water Educator for the Water Resource Center, at its helm. Samia had a deep interest in citizen science and knew that very little data existed on reptiles in our area and throughout the Northwest.
“Reptiles and amphibians aren’t sexy species,” reports Samia. “While agencies have budgets to track elk or moose, most can’t afford to gather data on reptiles, but we know it’s critical to understand what’s happening in our ecosystem. If we have information from a site and go back five or ten years later and the population is radically different, that’s cause for concern.”
Samia partnered with Americorps, local biologists, and WSU Vancouver to put on the event the first year. Her main concern was making sure that the sites chosen for each count were accessible and places where people would actually find critters. Over the years the event has evolved to include a number of families and children. Since the count occurs annually, it’s snapshot into how Clark County’s reptile population is fairing.

Biologists are particularly watchful for signs of Chytrid, a fungus that’s killing amphibians throughout the world and is on the rise in our region. The fungus thrives in cool, moist climates — hmm, that sounds spot on for Vancouver to me. The virus is also prolific in reptiles purchased at pet stores. Biologists worry that if well-intentioned families opt to release a frog purchased at a pet store into the wild it could quickly spread the infection. Volunteers who participate in Critter Count bring along alcohol wipes to clean their boots between sites. Samia also encourages people to wash their boots and have them dry in the sun after they’ve completed a day in the field.

According to Samia, the goal of Critter Count is not only to provide a day of exploration out in muddy waters but additionally to raise awareness of the importance role reptiles and amphibians play in our ecosystem: “These critters are prone to habitat loss and are critical in our region’s food web.” Amphibians are very susceptible to pesticides because they breathe through their skin. Pesticides also kill the very bugs that amphibians nosh on. Prior to letting volunteers loose in the wild, staff from the Water Resource Center offer an informational talk about conserving reptile environments and simple ways community members can help, like planting native plants, creating stone gardens or installing a small water feature in a backyard garden.

“We hope that from toddlers to adults, everyone will gain an understanding of what lives outdoors, how to help protect our critters and how to participate in a scientific data collection,” says Samia. There’s good news when it comes to collecting that data for my son and other youngsters — without question kids make the best discoveries. From garter snakes to salamander larva, kids take the prize for creature finding. One year a child uncovered a giant salamander larva that biologists had to take back to the lab to identify. Samia hopes to find a Western Toad, which is rumored to be present in the area but yet to be discovered. Regardless of whether volunteers count tree frogs or tadpoles, a day trudging through the mud, exploring and tracking like a real scientist, is sure to be good.

Critter Count takes place on Saturday, April 10, at 9 a.m. at the Water Resource Center. Counters should dress for the weather with boots, rain gear and a sack lunch. For more information call 487-7111.

Kate Dyer-Seeler is a mom, a writer, a coffee junkie and avid reader. Her column appears every other issue in The Voice.