Frogs count in water health

CRANBOURNE Royal Botanic Gardens was jumping with excitement during the launch of Melbourne Water’s annual frog census.
The census is a frog monitoring program aimed at raising awareness of wildlife, monitoring waterway health and encouraging people to get to know their local waterway.
Since it began in 2001, volunteers armed with recorders have ventured to their local river, creek or wetland to record frog calls. The presence of frogs was an indicator of waterway health, Melbourne Water general manager Chris Chesterfield said at the launch.
“The census results to date have uncovered some significant finds, including populations and two threatened species,” Mr Chesterfield said.
“The nationally significant Growling Grass Frog has been recorded 46 times, and the Southern Toadlet, which has state significance, has been recorded on nine occasions,” he said.
Many volunteers in the program visited up to 10 sites a night. Their efforts have led to 14 out of Melbourne’s 16 frog species being recorded and more than 3400 recordings have been submitted.
The frog calls are analysed and the call locations plotted on a map that forms a picture of the distribution of frogs across the region.
The data is also submitted to the Department of Sustainability and Environment Victorian wildlife atlas, the official state registry for flora and fauna, which is used to make decisions about the status of species including threatened species nominations.
To participate in the Melbourne Water frog census visit www.melbournewater.com.au and follow the links to the frog census page or email frogs@melbournewater.com.au