Skip to content

The Arts Incubator

Winnipeg, Manitoba

cropped-1.jpg
Primary Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • Winnipeg, Manitoba
    • Art Borups Corners
    • Artists, Collaborators And Mentors
    • Hubs
      • Borups Corners
      • Dyment Recreation Hall and Complex
      • Minneapolis, Minnesota
    • Funders and Supporters
      • Canada Council for the Arts
      • Global Dignity Canada
      • Local Services Board of Melgund
      • Manitoba Arts Council
      • Minneapolis College of Art and Design
    • Reports
      • 2023-2024 Report
      • 2021-2022 Report
    • Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Tracker
  • Projects
    • 2025 Climate Entrepreneurship Survey
    • Food Security
      • Towards a Framework for Northern Food Systems Innovation
      • Food Preservation Training and Curriculum Development
      • Relationship Development and Engagement with the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and University of Minnesota Duluth
      • Relationship Development and Engagement Activities with the University of the Arctic
      • The Art of Canning and Creative Entrepreneurship
      • Come Eat With Me: Manitoba Cookbook
    • Incubating Artificial Intelligence
      • Artist Bio Builder Writing Tool
      • Art Idea Generator
      • Asteroids
      • Northern AI Tools Get Trashy
      • Participatory Action Research Assistant
      • The Eco-Innovator’s Journey
      • Step Inside Your Content
    • Media Arts and Storytelling
    • Melgund Township Oral History Project
    • Recreation
      • Art Borups Corners
      • Arts and Recreation for an Aging Population
      • Creative Arts for Community Recreation
      • Facilities
        • The Cook Shack
        • Dyment Recreation Hall
        • Melgund Lake Boat Launch
        • Ice Fishing Shack
      • Storytelling
        • Stories & Publishing Skills
        • The Arts Incubator at Barnes and Noble
        • The Arts Incubator Books at Palace Marketplace
        • The Arts Incubator Books on Thalia
      • Youth Engagement
  • Resources
    • Adaptive Phased Management
    • Climate CO-STAR Builder (ECO_STAR)
    • Entrepreneurship Resources
    • Framework for Recreation in Canada
    • Funding Programs and Sources
    • Parks for All
    • The Common Vision
  • News
    • Borups Corners News
    • Creative Entrepreneurship
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Arts & Creative Leadership
    • Food Security and Innovation
    • Melgund Township News
    • Photos and Short Stories
    • Winnipeg
  • Events
    • Canada Day 2025
    • 2025-2026 Melgund Township Music Series
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Photos and Short Stories
  • It’s Toad-ally Froggy Friday
  • Photos and Short Stories

It’s Toad-ally Froggy Friday

It's Froggy Friday! This week, our land-based living lab celebrated with sightings of a Northern Leopard Frog, American Toad, and Gray Tree Frog.
The Arts Incubator - Winnipeg June 13, 2025
A wonderful week of wildlife encounters! We were thrilled to spot these three fascinating amphibians in our land-based living lab. Each one a unique marvel of nature!

A wonderful week of wildlife encounters! We were thrilled to spot these three fascinating amphibians in our land-based living lab. Each one a unique marvel of nature!

Celebrating Our Hoppy Neighbors!

It’s easy to get frogs and toads mixed up, but once you know a few key differences, you’ll be spotting them like a pro! Generally speaking, frogs tend to have smoother, moister skin, often appearing slimy. They typically have longer legs built for powerful leaps and prefer to stay close to water. Toads, on the other hand, usually sport drier, warty skin and have shorter legs, making them more inclined to walk or take smaller hops. They’re also a bit more tolerant of drier environments, venturing further from water sources.

But regardless of their subtle differences, both frogs and toads play vital roles in our ecosystems, and getting to observe them up close is always a treat!


The Dapper Northern Leopard Frog

Peeking out from the grass, a beautifully camouflaged Northern Leopard Frog. Photo: Jamie Bell
Peeking out from the grass, a beautifully camouflaged Northern Leopard Frog. Photo: Jamie Bell

First up, we have the dashing Northern Leopard Frog, who clearly knows how to blend in with its surroundings! This little guy was perfectly camouflaged amidst the vibrant green blades of grass, almost playing a game of hide-and-seek. With its striking green skin adorned with distinctive dark, rounded spots that resemble a leopard’s markings, it’s truly a sight to behold. These agile jumpers are often found near ponds, marshes, and slow-moving streams, patiently waiting for an insect snack to come their way. Our encounter with this beauty reminded us just how much life thrives even in the seemingly ordinary corners of our land-based living lab here in Thunder Bay.


The Hearty American Toad

ust hanging out: a perfect example of an American Toad. These hardy amphibians are a common sight and crucial for keeping local insect populations in check.
ust hanging out: a perfect example of an American Toad. These hardy amphibians are a common sight and crucial for keeping local insect populations in check. Photo: Jamie Bell

Next, we had the pleasure of meeting this robust American Toad, looking quite content as it basked in the sun. Unlike its slick-skinned froggy cousins, this toad proudly sports a textured, bumpy skin in shades of brown and orange, giving it a wonderfully earthy appearance. American Toads are truly resilient creatures, often found hopping about in gardens, woodlands, and even urban areas, proving they don’t always need to be right by the water’s edge. Their diet mainly consists of insects, slugs, and other small invertebrates, making them fantastic natural pest controllers for any garden. This particular toad seemed quite at home on our lab’s surface, reminding us of the diverse habitats our local amphibians call home.


The Charming Gray Tree Frog

Discover the Gray Treefrog (Dryophytes versicolor), a master of camouflage. Except in this photo, it's hardly hiding!
The Gray Treefrog (Dryophytes versicolor), a master of camouflage. Except in this photo, it’s hardly hiding! It’s chilling out near the flower pots. Photo: Terri Bell

And finally, capping off our amphibian adventures, we were delighted to find this adorable Gray Tree Frog, looking quite relaxed on a surface in our lab. While its name suggests “gray,” these clever chameleons can actually change their color to match their surroundings, ranging from mottled gray to brilliant green, just like this one! Their incredible camouflage and sticky toe pads allow them to cling effortlessly to trees, shrubs, and even the side of your house. During the day, they often huddle up, conserving energy, and become more active as dusk settles, serenading us with their distinctive trilling calls. This little green gem was a perfect reminder of the hidden wonders just waiting to be discovered when you take a closer look.

Beyond the Croak: The Essential Role of Frogs and Toads

These remarkable amphibians, frogs and toads, play a vital role in our ecosystems, acting as both predators and prey. Their permeable skin makes them particularly sensitive to environmental changes, serving as important bioindicators of habitat health. From the explosive breeding calls of spring to their silent, bug-eating patrols through the night, frogs and toads are fascinating creatures that contribute significantly to the biodiversity and ecological balance of Northwestern Ontario and beyond. Protecting their habitats and ensuring clean water sources are crucial steps in safeguarding these valuable members of our natural world for future generations.

About the Author

The Arts Incubator - Winnipeg

The Arts Incubator - Winnipeg

Administrator

The Arts Incubator - Winnipeg is a participatory arts collective and living lab, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. It's a space where innovation and creativity thrive. It's latest iteration was launched in 2021 with funding and support from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse. Today, working with students and faculty from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, we fuse traditional and participatory media arts with artificial intelligence, music, storytelling and community-driven, land-based artist residencies to cultivate new voices and bold ideas. Whether through collaborative projects or immersive experiences, our small but vibrant community supports creators to explore, experiment, and connect. Join us at the intersection of artistry, technology, culture and community—where every moment is a new opportunity to create.

Visit Website View All Posts
Tags: Frogs SDG 15 Toads

Post navigation

Previous: Week Two Summer Arts Incubator Update
Next: Getting Ready for Fresh, Local Berries

Related News

This week we’re capturing autumn’s colours—learning to use digital tools while sharing everyday seasonal moments in Winnipeg.
  • Photos and Short Stories
  • Winnipeg

Golden Leaves

Tony Eetak October 2, 2025
Proving that art is everywhere: With nothing more than a scanner and a handful of fallen leaves, participants at The Arts Incubator are discovering the accessible, high-impact possibilities of digital collage.
  • Ontario
  • Photos and Short Stories
  • Winnipeg

Nature’s Digital Press

Jamie Bell October 1, 2025
4da3225d-77a9-49f1-8cca-218abd06ab95
  • Photos and Short Stories
  • Winnipeg

The quiet of fall

Eva Suluk September 30, 2025

Recent Posts

  • Golden Leaves
  • Nature’s Digital Press
  • The quiet of fall
  • Orange Shirt Day
  • Cataloguing Workshop
Book cover for Where Dignity Grows, a book of stories about kindness and dignity

You may have missed

This week we’re capturing autumn’s colours—learning to use digital tools while sharing everyday seasonal moments in Winnipeg.
  • Photos and Short Stories
  • Winnipeg

Golden Leaves

Tony Eetak October 2, 2025
Proving that art is everywhere: With nothing more than a scanner and a handful of fallen leaves, participants at The Arts Incubator are discovering the accessible, high-impact possibilities of digital collage.
  • Ontario
  • Photos and Short Stories
  • Winnipeg

Nature’s Digital Press

Jamie Bell October 1, 2025
4da3225d-77a9-49f1-8cca-218abd06ab95
  • Photos and Short Stories
  • Winnipeg

The quiet of fall

Eva Suluk September 30, 2025
national-day-truth-reconciliation
  • Photos and Short Stories
  • Winnipeg

Orange Shirt Day

The Arts Incubator - Winnipeg September 30, 2025

MANITOBA ARTS PROGRAMS

This platform, our Winnipeg, Manitoba hub and programs have been made possible with support from the Manitoba Arts Council Indigenous 360 Program. We gratefully acknowledge their funding and support in making the work we do possible.

Manitoba Arts Council Indigenous 360 Program

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Arts Incubator was seeded and piloted with strategic arts innovation funding from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse. We thank them for their investment, supporting northern arts capacity building and bringing the arts to life.

Canada Council for the Arts Digital Greenhouse Logo

NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO ARTS PROGRAMS

This platform, our Northwestern Ontario hub and programs have been made possible with support from the Ontario Arts Council Multi and Inter-Arts Projects Program. We gratefully acknowledge their funding and support in making the work we do possible.

Ontario Arts Council Multi and Inter-Arts Projects Program
Copyright ©2020-2025 All rights reserved. | MoreNews by AF themes.