Amphibian Week 2026 – At Home in a Habitat (May 3rd – 9th)

Amphibian week kicked off for USGS and ARMI (Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative) scientists In Washington, DC on Saturday. Five ARMI scientists and two volunteers (Thanks Janet and Courtney!) participated in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History’s Q?rious exhibit to highlight amphibians and draw attention to Amphibian Week. This event included other federal agencies such as the US Forest Service and attracted nearly 800 museum-goers. ARMI scientists provided information, activities, games, and displayed live amphibians local to the east coast. Phil the Frog was there to remind everyone about how important (and loveable) amphibians are. On Sunday, ARMI led an Amphibian Week event at the historic Reptile House (which also houses amphibians) at the Smithsonian National Zoo. There, ARMI scientists partnered with National Zoo staff to provide amphibian demonstrations, pose trivia questions, and provide information about amphibians to over one thousand zoo-goers. Despite competition from the pandas, and the baby elephant, Phil the Frog interacted with nearly a thousand kids and adults as he and his minder roamed around the zoo, pointing visitors towards the amphibian exhibits.

Amphibian Week 2026 was celebrated by ARMI scientists from coast to coast. In addition to the festivities in DC, every ARMI region contributed. Hundreds of people participated in these in person events, from 30 people at rainy frog walks, to >100 at the USGS- USFWS at the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge.

Scientists from USGS Forest and Rangeland Science Center (FRESC, Oregon) started Amphibian Week events early in the year, participating in a Bioblitz and the City of Corvallis Nature Challenge including information tables and participation in the blitz. In southern California (WERC San Diego Field Station) partnered with the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge and Friends of the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge to host Wild About Amphibians! Event at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve in Imperial Beach, CA. That event included a treefrog hike, introductions to the native frogs of the area, and lots of kid-ready events like an original frog-themed board game and jumping origami frogs.

In the Rocky Mountains (Fort Collins Science Center), scientists partnered with the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery to provide a fun evening of live amphibians and scientist-led walks to look for amphibians and identify habitat. A second walk had to be cancelled because of weather! At Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (Missoula Field Station), partners at the Washington Middle School engaged students all week with activities such as a scavenger hunt for 7th graders that combined amphibians and the Dewey Decimal System – an event that wins for most interesting combination of topics! Eighth graders were included with a challenge to research their favorite amphibian, draw it, and provide some facts about it.

ARMI also participated in social media focused on Amphibian Week with official USGS-Wild and USGS posts on Instagram. The ARMI website’s Amphibian Week page presented a new story each week for the month and a half leading up to Amphibian Week. These stories were written by scientists in each ARMI region and followed the daily themes of Amphibian Week 2026, from Streamy Sunday to Sandy Saturday.

ARMI scientists also serve on the Amphibian Week national planning committee, led by Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, to bring Amphibian Week to the public each year. Selection of themes, partnerships and outreach for the next year begins almost immediately after Amphibian Week concludes.