Groundtruthing a TAMP Road Route

The NAAMP headquarters (located in Maryland) establishes where the road routes are located in Tennessee using maps (sometimes old) and a computer program to randomly select routes. To make sure that routes can be safely run and are viable, the assigned route needs to be groundtruthed by the volunteer and/or the regional coordinator. This page contains the guidelines for groundtruthing as set forth by the NAAMP Protocols.

Groundtruthing Basics

Safety first, no route should be on a dangerous road.

Ambient noise (traffic, etc.) should not be so loud as to interfere with hearing frogs.

Be impartial: stops are not “picked”, do not determine if frogs are present at potential stop.

Use 0.5 mile rule to establish stops.

0.5 mile rule

If the starting point has wetland habitat, it becomes the first stop.

If not, then the nearest wetland habitat along the route becomes the first stop.

Drive 0.5 miles away, if this location is wetland habitat, it becomes the 2nd stop.

If not, continue as above.

Continue until all 10 stops have been established.

Updated March 22, 2002