Find a Frog in February 2024
One small task for man, one giant leap for frog-kind!
It’s lift-off time for the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee (MRCCC) as we launch into our annual ‘Find a Frog in February’ (FFF) Citizen Science program. We are hopeful there will be more success stories as great as the recent recovery of the vulnerable Giant barred frog in Maleny.
Prior to 2012, this magnificent species had been absent from the creek system in that area, until several were found during surveys in the Maleny Precinct. Apart from these few individuals, there was no knowledge of other populations living in the whole Obi Obi Creek catchment.
Amphibian Chytrid fungus and habitat loss are major threats for this species. Aerial photography from mid-1900s shows widespread vegetation loss from the riparian zone of Obi Obi Creek, all the way from the headwaters to Gardiner’s Falls. However, over the past 25 years, a strong revegetation effort has turned the table along the waterways of the plateau.
In very recent years, some observations of Giant barred frogs in Maleny were provided to Find a frog in February and last year, several dedicated surveys revealed a healthy population of males, females and juveniles. This species has well and truly come home thanks to habitat recovery.
Why FFF?
One third of frogs worldwide, and one quarter in our local region, are threatened with extinction. Of immense concern is that eight of our most commonly seen species look like they are declining in recent times. Frogs are very sensitive to all components of our environment; water for breeding and hydration, soil and vegetation for hiding and feeding, and clean air to breathe, not only with lungs but through their skin! Unfortunately, this means that dangerous substances in the air or water can end up in their body. This is why frog presence is such a useful indicator of ecosystem health. MRCCC’s Find a Frog in February Coordinator, Eva Ford, notes that to maintain frog populations, we need to keep an eye on where frog populations are and how many there are. Then we can make decisions that ensure their perpetual survival, and maybe understand what causes distribution or population changes. If we look after our frogs, we look after ourselves and all beings .
Join in this year!
Eva and the MRCCC are encouraging everyone to contribute some time to be part of this year’s FIND a FROG in FEBRUARY search by taking photos and/or recordings of frogs and their location. This information can be submitted to the MRCCC to have them identified and lodged. Or people can enter records through the ‘Find a Frog in February’ project in iNaturalist, or the ‘Find a Frog – MRCCC’ Group in FrogID. They are all linked and, whatever way is chosen, all data ends up in the Queensland WildNet database for safekeeping and future access for research and planning.
Help to care for our frogs by increasing your knowledge of their whereabouts and improving their habitat areas. Participants can attend frog workshops that are occurring throughout the district and should call the MRCCC for more information and to register.
- Visit the FFF page on our website for all the information and tools you need to get involved (prizes for outstanding participants!).
- Join iNaturalist at inaturalist.org and join the ‘Find a Frog in February’ project.
- Join the Find a Frog in February group on Facebook for ‘Frog of the Day’ videos and to join the discussions with other fervent FROGGERS
- Join the ‘Find a Frog –MRCCC’ group in to submit frog records.
- Explore the FROGGING AROUND FrogID KEY that helps you identify the frogs you encounter – froggingaround.com/frog_id_key.php.
This program is generously supported by all councils of the program area; Sunshine Coast Council, Noosa Council, Gympie Regional Council and Fraser Coast Regional Council. We and the frogs are immensely grateful.
Contacts:
MRCCC office – 07 5482 4766
Eva Ford – 0408 749 162
Evening frog workshop and frog survey dates (bookings essential):
- Wednesday 14th February – Federal Hall, Federal
- Wednesday 21st February – Belli Community Hall, Belli park
- Saturday 24th February – Cooloola Mini-Bioblitz, Rainbow Beach
- Tuesday 27th February – Cooran Hall, Cooran
Images from top left: Giant barred frog photo courtesy Eva Ford, Cascade treefrog photo courtesy Eva Ford,
Emerald spotted treefrog photo courtesy Shanna Bignell