The Nature Conservancy in Washington - How Cows Can Help the Oregon Spotted Frog

Calf

Meet Rani the Calf!

Thanks to those of you who sent in names for this little calf, who gobbles up invasive reed canary grass.

By removing the grass, Rani creates an ideal home for the rare Oregon spotted frog.

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The rare Oregon spotted frog needs open, shallow and still pools to lay eggs.

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Our new calf has a name! In March's Great Places E-Newsletter, we asked readers to help us name her. Thanks to the great reponse, there was no shortage of terrific names for this girl.

So, meet Rani, the hard-working calf who munches invasive reed canary grass. Great Places reader Autumn Pugsley, from Portland, Oregon, sent in the chosen name.

"I thought Rani would be a good name for the calf because she's going to help save habitat for the Oregon Spotted Frog, who is from the frog family Ranidae," Autumn said. "Rani for short is super cute, and it even matches our great northwest weather!"

Thanks to Autumn and all our other readers for sending in name ideas! Stay tuned for updates on Rani and her frog friends.

Have you herd? Prairie frogs have a new friend. Cows are helping restore frog habitat in South Puget Sound, and one of them had a baby!

Her job is to eat invasive grass to help restore habitat for the rare Oregon spotted frog.

Friends of the Frog

How can cows help this frog, which is being reintroduced onto one of the South Puget Sound Prairies? We’re trying to find out.

Cattleman David Weyte is using his special miniature Irish Dexter cows in an experiment with The Nature Conservancy and our partners. We're examining whether using the cattle to graze on a wetland infested by reed canary grass improves the site enough for frogs to lay their eggs.

Reed canary grass is an aggressive weed that left unchecked will spread rapidly to clog an entire wetland or riparian area with a thick, deep mat of grass seven or more feet tall.

Oregon spotted frogs require open, shallow, still pools to lay their eggs. These kinds of wetlands are readily overgrown with reed canary grass across most of the frog's range.

New Frog Habitat

In this experiment, Weyte and his partners have fenced an area near a small creek in the Black River watershed and divided it into two parts. The Irish Dexter cattle will graze on one part, while the other part will be left alone. Once the cows have done their work, biologists will monitor the site to see if the grazed area attracts any Oregon spotted frogs.

Partners include the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Port Blakely Tree Farms, and The Nature Conservancy.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Keith Lazelle (Black River); Photo © Kelly McAllister (calf), Photo © William Leonard (Oregon spotted frog)