Croaks and Leaps: A Frog Finding Experience

What's a frog and how do we find them? Join researchers Mary Diez and Joel Mota from NC State and learn all about them! We will start things off with a brief overview of amphibians and frogs in North Carolina. Then, we'll apply what we learned and do a hands-on group activity where we will count frogs in some "swamps"! Afterwards, we'll have a group debrief and talk a little bit more about our scientist's research and the tools they use in the field to count frogs. Plus, there may be a real frog or two to gaze upon... but you won't know unless you attend! It will be a ribbiting good time you won't want to miss! While the activity will be aimed for a younger audience, all ages are welcome to come learn about and celebrate frogs! Registration is required, please register everyone in your party. Mary Diez, a North Carolina native, joined North Carolina State University's Department of Applied Ecology and NC Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit as a Master's student in Spring of 2023. Working under Jaime Collazo and Nathan Hostetter she graduated with her Master of Science in Biology in the Fall of 2025 after having spent the last couple of years counting tiny frogs in a swamp in Puerto Rico. She is currently working as a research associate under Nathan Hostetter in the NC Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit where along with planning out future coquí frog projects, she is expanding her quantitative ecologist skills with Canada Lynx occupancy modeling.

Last updated November 6, 2026