This article was originally written by Thaddeus Lipinski and published on February 17, 2025, by the South Bend Tribune.
It’s 8:45 p.m. on a warm spring night at Lydick Bog Nature Preserve, seven miles west of South Bend. As darkness creeps over the pond, a concealed orchestra comes to life, and the bog begins to sing! The symphony commences with the soft PeepPeepPeep of a distant, hidden instrument, one of the first to be queued in for the nocturne. As he continues, more join the fray.
Peep.Peep.Peep.Peep.Peep.
PeepPeepPeepPeepPeepPeepPeepPeepPeepPeepPeepPeepPeep.
As the first act swells to crescendo in the twilight hour, the landscape yearns for the gentle, melodic upswings that define the next movement; the soft Crrreeeeeeeeek of the boreal chorus frog. As the peepers grow ever more numerous, our hidden conductor queues the chorus in a mighty swell …
And yet, no song follows, leaving only expectant silence.
Peep.Peep.Peep.Peep.
Peep …
Peep …
Our environmental orchestras are not just diminishing, they’re on the brink of extinction! Since 2022, my colleagues and I have tracked populations of local Indiana frogs at Lydick Bog Nature Preserve as part of ongoing research through Notre Dame’s College of Science, finding that nearly 30% of historic species have vanished. This reflects a global crisis, with amphibians at its center: 41% of amphibian species are in decline or extinct.
In northwest Indiana, human encroachment into wetland habitats and fragmentation caused by roads and other developments is rearranging these familiar compositions. Barriers to movement, such as U.S. 20, circumscribe critical amphibian habitats like Lydick Bog Nature Preserve, posing unique threats to Indiana frogs that rely on undisturbed, connected habitats (water and land) for their complex life cycles.
Furthermore, increasing noise pollution is creating an uphill battle for the last remaining frogs. Throughout the warmer months of the year, male frogs gather near potential breeding sites and vocalize to attract mates. These mating calls differ between species and individuals, allowing females to not only recognize “what” is beckoning them closer but also “who.” Having a soundscape filled with jet planes, train horns and car engine noise can mean those two frogs may never meet. Scientists and citizen observers also rely on these calls to monitor populations, but without quieter habitats, there may be fewer voices left to hear. If we want to ensure the number of frogs increases, we must decrease noise pollution.
Declines in frogs affect more than just our ears. Amphibians feature prominently in culture, especially literature, such as traditional fables like “The Frog Prince.” Most critically, frogs are an integral part of local food webs. For example, frogs are predators for a variety of organisms, notably disease vectors like mosquitoes and flies. Also, their complex biology makes amphibians a “sentinel taxa,” a species whose presence or absence indicates overall environmental health. Frog biology makes them sensitive to changes in a variety of environmental conditions, such as temperature, precipitation and land use, so it’s unsurprising that small changes in these conditions are often felt first by frogs. Increasingly, humanity appears to oppose the success of these warriors of the water, and our continued encroachment upon amphibian breeding grounds is the biggest threat frogs face on Earth today.
Minimizing our impact on frogs starts with protecting the wetlands they call home. A top priority should be to establish movement corridors that allow safe migration and reduce the risks of fragmentation. Additionally, maintaining buffer zones around wetland edges provides essential terrestrial habitat while safeguarding the environment from future residential and commercial development. By preserving these environments, we also gain valuable benefits such as improved water quality, lower treatment and irrigation costs, and the protection of biodiversity crucial for healthy ecosystems.
The choruses of our Indiana frogs are falling silent, and if we don’t speak up, their voices might disappear forever. You have the power to change that! Engage with your local land trust, attend local planning meetings, remind officials of their responsibility to care for our common home and write to your state and federal representatives, encouraging them to consider even those smallest members of our community. Though small, these creatures play a big role in the health of our environment, and now their survival depends on us. Let’s not wait for the chorus to fall silent and take action while we still can.
Thaddeus Lipinski is a senior at the University of Notre Dame studying Environmental Sciences.