PRESS RELEASE
‘Hop To It’ on World Wetlands Day
28.1.2026
To celebrate World Wetlands Day 2026 the Irish Peatland Conservation Council are announcing the launch of our Hop To It Frog Survey 2026. The Hop To It Frog survey began in 1997 and is Ireland’s longest running frog survey. It is a citizen science initiative where members of the public are asked and encouraged to submit their sighting of the Common Frog in all the life stages.
World Wetlands Day is celebrated on the 2nd of February ever year and aims to raise awareness about wetlands. Wetlands include both freshwater and marine habitats such as lakes, rivers, peatlands, marshes, estuaries, tidal flats and mangroves. They are vital ecosystems and are home to a wide variety of plant and animal species
One species that can be found in our wetlands is the Common Frog (Rana temporaria). Despite its name the Common Frog is actual classed as a vulnerable species in Europe and is a protected species. Present across Ireland the Common Frog is found in damp habitats such as woodlands, bogs, fens and gardens. They have smooth moist skin that can change colour to help protect them from predators.
Frogs start out their life as an egg covered in jelly known as frogspawn. They hatch from the egg as tadpoles and spend 5 weeks swimming around eating algae. After 5 weeks they start growing hind legs and begin coming up to the surface for air. After 14 weeks the froglets have nearly fully absorbed their tail and start spending time on rocks or damp grass. They reach maturity after 3 years. This process of going from a egg, to a tadpole, to a frog is known as metamorphosis. Frogs can live up to 8 years and they spend their winters hibernating in dark damp places such as leaf piles and tree stumps.
Frogs are fascinating creatures and monitoring our population of the Common Frog can help us better understand our environment. So throughout the year if you happen to see frogspawn, tadpoles or a frog make sure to submit your records to the Hop To It Frog survey by visiting www.ipcc.ie. You can also contact the Irish Peatland Conservation Council on 045-860133 or e-mail bogs@ipcc.ie.
Image: Common Frog by E. Delaney, Co. Wexford