Where's Waldo? (Treefrog Fever Photo Hike) (Rating: D)

You must read the following NVHC Sign-in Sheet Statement/Liability Disclaimer, https://nvhc.com/signin.pdf and then answer the question that you will see when you RSVP with "I accept" to be permitted on the hike.

Visit the AMAZON in our own backyard! (Kind of.) Trek 3ish flat miles along the award-winning boardwalk at Neabsco Regional Park to photograph gobs of teensy green treefrogs with sticky feet (like their famous Amazonian cousins); handsome meadow katydids with Paul Newman eyes; bold butterflies and bees feasting on purple New York ironweed and yellow wildflowers; bodacious birds (eagles to egrets), North America's most toxic native plant (water hemlock), and much more. More than 200 relatively close-up treefrogs were visible last year-- but who knows if we'll hit the jackpot Sunday or find a dearth of these dear creatures. THE CHALLENGE IS FINDING THE ROUGHLY 2-INCH TREEFROGS, SINCE THESE GREEN CUTIES ARE EXPERTS AT CAMOUFLAGE AND TYPICALLY HANG OUT ON MATCHING GREEN LEAVES.

Cell phones to fancy-schmancy cameras with long lenses (and binoculars) are welcome.

We’ll stop as much as we’ll move but we plan to complete the out-and-back along the roughly one-mile fancy boardwalk and halfish mile plank "boardwalk" in about 3 hours. (You can sign out early on the NVHC sheet if you can’t stay that long.)

Hike leader is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, an award-winning nature photographer, and a green treefrog ADDICT.

TREEFROGS: What the heck is a green treefrog and how do you find them? Adults can reach 2.5 inches long but we will also see smaller ones and babies. Some look "skinny" but most look chunky. They have gold eyelids and some sport white and/or gold "racing stripes." They change color so they range from forest green to lime green to chartreuse, and even shades of brown in the autumn. PRIZES! Prize to anyone who finds an aberrantly BLUE treefrog! (A few were found there a couple years back, which helped spark a worldwide study by iNaturalist! Two have been found at Huntley Meadows this year. Since these cutie-patooties hunt at night, most of them will be sleeping -- but sometimes they move around to get out of the sun.

https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/amphibians/frogsandtoads/green-treefrog/index.php

MEET: 8:30 a.m. by the playground at the end of the parking lot.
NEABSCO REGIONAL PARK: 15125 Blackburn Rd., Woodbridge, VA 22191
Copy these GPS coordinates into Google Maps: 38.615513, -77.274805
https://www.pwcva.gov/department/neabsco-regional-park

IMPORTANT NOTES: Adults only and no pets, not even pet treefrogs. No tripods because they block the public boardwalk and block your fellow photographers. Porta potty at start (bring your own TP just in case since Prince William County doesn't properly service these necessities) and "biobreak" possible at turnaround point.)

WEATHER: Hike might be postponed if it rains. I'll post a weather update here by 5 pm on 9/13.

BRING/WEAR: Sense of humor, sense of awe, water, camera, extra battery, and memory cards. OPTIONAL: binoculars, bug spray, and sunblock.

ABERRANTLY BLUE FROGS (started because of the discovery at Neabsco!): https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/aberrantly-blue-frogs