Galway County Council’s Biodiversity Office is asking people to help record sightings of the Common Frog in their gardens and local areas across County Galway.
Many people in Ireland carry vivid memories of early childhood encounters with frogs — whether it was an unexpected hop that came a little too close for comfort, the surround?sound croaking from a pond during the breeding season, or perhaps the disappointment of a hasty kiss not producing a prince (the latter activity is not recommended on health and safety grounds ).
Rosina Joyce, biodiversity officer with Galway County Council, recalls that growing up in Galway city she didn’t encounter many frogs. It was only when visiting cousins in the countryside each spring that frogs became part of her world — from collecting frogspawn to watching tadpoles in ponds, and being utterly convinced that their transformation into frogs later in the year had to be magic.
While such encounters are often exciting, educational and formative in developing a connection with the natural world, they may seem incidental. However, we now know that individual observations can contribute to something much bigger.
By capturing small pieces of information, many people together can create powerful datasets that help scientists understand the environment, track changes over time, and support better decision?making for nature and biodiversity. This is why Galway County Council, in partnership with the Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC ), is seeking the public’s help to paint a clearer picture of how frogs are faring across County Galway.
Hop To It
Since 1997, the Irish Peatland Conservation Council has coordinated Ireland’s longest?running frog survey — the Hop To It Frog Survey. This citizen science initiative asks members of the public to record and submit observations of the various stages of the Common Frog lifecycle.
While easily recognised and well known, the Common Frog (Rana temporaria ) is Ireland’s only native frog species and, despite its name, is listed as Vulnerable across Europe. The species is legally protected under the EU Habitats Directive and the Irish Wildlife Acts.
The Common Frog is also considered a biological indicator of environmental health. Its smooth, moist skin is highly sensitive to pollution, meaning the presence — or absence — of frogs can tell us a great deal about local environmental conditions.
Annual monitoring of frog populations supports national conservation efforts and helps us better understand local environmental quality. However, in 2025 only five frog records were received from County Galway.
Does this mean the Common Frog is declining in the county? Hopefully not — but without records, we simply don’t know.
The Irish Peatland Conservation Council is therefore asking people across Galway to become citizen scientists and take part in the 2026 Hop To It Frog Survey.
If you spot frogspawn, tadpoles, froglets or adult frogs in your garden or local area, you can submit your observation to the Irish Peatland Conservation Council by filling out the Hop To It survey form on their website: www.ipcc.ie
You can also submit frog records through the National Biodiversity Data Centre at records.biodiversityireland.ie/record/others
