Have You Seen a Frog Lately?

If you were to ask residents of Still Creek what they most like about living where they do, you will probably get a response that includes the fact that their homes back onto the wonderful open space of the Magee Ranch land in Danville.

And, from those that have lived there for some time, you will also likely be regaled by stories about the wildlife that they see and hear on a daily basis – including deer, coyotes, turkeys, hawks, etc.

Until a year ago, that list of wildlife would also have included the evening serenade of the frogs in the East Branch of the Green Valley Creek that runs behind their properties.

But, last summer, Still Creek residents noticed something distinctly absent from their immediate environment. They could no longer hear the frogs.

There is much debate as to what type of frog used to live there. Some say it was the California red-legged frog, which is a federally listed threatened species of the United States and protected by law. But what local residents do agree on is that they can no longer see or hear them.

Why these frogs suddenly disappeared without a trace, we will likely never know. But, their absence is sorely missed.

“We used to love sitting outside on our patio in the summer evenings, drinking wine and listening to the frogs,” says local resident Irene Ingham.

There is, however, one small glimmer of hope that they may return. One resident recently reported that they thought that they heard a frog in their back yard.

Save Our Creek, the local community group that is actively challenging the proposed SummerHill Homes development of the same Magee Ranch land, is currently preparing itself for the public release of the Town of Danville’s Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR). In this report it is expected that wildlife issues, associated with the project, will be addressed.

So if there is proof that there is a frog that resides in the East Branch of the Green Valley Creek, Save Our Creek certainly wants to know about it. With that in mind, Save Our Creek encourages Danville and Diablo residents along the creek to photograph and/or report any sightings of frogs in the area. Save our creek can be contacted, via email, at savediablocreek@gmail.com.