Why Frog Songs?
Thank you for taking the time to check out my project! Frog Songs is a collection of essays and accompanying website of resources exploring the ecology of southeast lower Michigan, and it is my capstone project for the University of Michigan Minor in Writing. The title is in reference to the essay that started the whole capstone, The Heralds of Spring, which is about about my first love in science - frogs! My childhood fascination with amphibians has since grown into a deep and broad curiosity about the natural world and a drive to understand how the world works that influence my choice of a career in biology. My love of science grew in the classroom, but that's not where it started - it started in the waterlogged ditch across the street from my house.
The goals of this project are twofold. First, I want to encourage people who don't think of themselves as "scientists" to engage with science through ecology and natural history. I want to empower readers to know more about their local environment and see science as something that is accessible to all the time rather than locked away in labs and museums. Additionally, a lot of Michiganders perceive northern Michigan as having all the “exciting” nature, and I wanted to challenge that perception by exploring topics closer to campus. Second, I want to tell my story by braiding academic facts with personal experiences and reflections. Through this project, I have reflected on the personal experiences that influence my science and writing, discovered the importance of a public that cares about the natural world, and been inspired by reading the work other science communicators. I also received support from plenty of people in-person and would especially like to thank Huron-Clinton Metroparks Interpreter Abby Lauer for her consulting on this project.
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I hope that you enjoy reading these essays as much as I enjoyed writing them, and I hope that by the time you're finished, you have learned something new about the world around you. Wherever you are, go out and be curious about the natural world you!
Further Reading
Check out some of the sources I referenced for this project below. You can find links to a few additional sources that I referenced or was inspired by, including articles about specific Ann Arbor birds, on the Explore Nature tab. Below the links, find a gallery photos I have taken of wildlife around Ann Arbor, including during the course of this project.
THE HERALDS OF SPRING
Access pictures and distribution data for the frogs mentioned in the essay, as well as other frog and toad species in Michigan. Also learn about the Friends of the Rouge Frog and Toad survey, and read this scientific article (or its associated press release) about the causes and patterns of worldwide amphibian decline.
FIRE LIZARDS AT DARK
Read about the salamanders of New York City or learn about the lives of mole salamanders. See also the Michigan Vernal Pools Partnership to learn more about vernal pool inhabitants, physical properties, and legal protections. And check out this article about the major salamander migration in the UP with great salamander and newt photos!
THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF BIRDS
Read more about the history of DDT or the story of its impact on the urbanization of raptors in the United States. See also an article about urban raptors, the Peregrine Fund's message celebrating the peregrine falcon being delisted from the endangered species list, and fact sheets about the peregrine falcon and trumpeter swan.
