You’ve heard of drug-sniffing dogs and you may have heard of bomb-sniffing dogs, but have you ever heard of a frog-sniffing dog? “Newt” is a young Labrador retriever who is learning to find and alert to Eastern Spadefoot Toads. These frogs are the rarest amphibian in New England, listed as a threatened species in Massachusetts, and are particularly difficult to find. They spend most of their time underground and only come out on rainy nights – not the best time for two-legged volunteers to be searching the woods. When he grows up Newt’s job will be to travel to Cape Cod with SLU student/handler Hannah Duffy and find the frogs. Once the pair has located the burrows of this elusive amphibian, Audubon Society Biologists can gently dig up the frogs to collect data needed for conservation of the species.

Join Newt, Hannah Duffy, and SLU Biologist Kris Hoffmann for a discussion about frogs, dogs, and conservation. Newt will mingle with the crowd and demonstrate his talents. Free and all ages welcome. Please rsvp to info@natureupnorth.org or by contacting Nature Up North on social media (@natureupnorth).