Amazing amphibians at Audubon

SHARON — They sky was overcast and temperatures were brisk last Thursday, April 21, but that didn’t deter an adventurous group of young field scientists from pursuing frogs, tadpoles and other exciting amphibians at Sharon Audubon. The amphibian program was part of a three-day camp held during the Region One School District’s spring vacation. Other sessions had featured birds and insects. The morning began with a visit to the pond at Audubon, where field expert and group leader Sarah Conley introduced the crew of 16 children to the freshwater home of a host of amphibians. The budding biologists were armed with nets, screens and tanks as they fanned out along the water’s edge in search of anything slimy, squirmy, alive and elusive. Unfortunately, the catch wasn’t quite commensurate with the effort. Conley pointed out that most full-grown frogs are nocturnally active creatures. The group did find one tadpole however, along with a yellow-striped water snake, creatively coined “Bobby.” Before venturing back inside the Audubon center, the children put all the critters back in the pond.Satisfied with their exploits on the water, the youngsters then sat down at the arts and crafts table, where they made googly-eyed frogs, complete with extendable blow-out tongues for optimal fly catching. Afterward, they all participated in a fly-eating contest, to see whose frog was the hungriest — although as one member of the group reminded everyone, “It’s not really about winning or losing.”