13 October 2006
THE CROAK GOES OUT FOR FRIENDLY FROG FINDERS IN MELBOURNE SCHOOLS
13 October 2006
After the successful trial of the new Frog Census in Schools, schools and school students across Melbourne now have the chance to participate in this fantastic program with the launch of the Melbourne Water Frog Census in Schools Kit online.
Melbourne Water Education Manager, Salyana Williams, said the kit suggested a range of activities to engage students and their teachers in the popular Melbourne Water Frog Census program in their classrooms.
"This great resource provides teachers with a step by step guide to teaching students about the role frogs have in helping us monitor the health of the environment and what we can all do in helping to protect and improve the health of our rivers and creeks.
"There are some great hands-on, practical and fun activities in this kit that are suitable across school year levels and provide real life applications of science, environmental studies, maths and communication skills," Ms Williams said.
"To assist teachers in their planning, each activity has also been linked to the Victorian Essential Learning Standards (VELS) framework."
Ms Williams said the Frog Census in Schools would form an important component of the broader Melbourne Water Frog Census - a community-based frog monitoring program in which volunteers record the calls of frogs in their local rivers, creeks and wetlands.
This information is then analysed and collated to map the distribution of frogs around Melbourne.
Ms Williams said the results of the 2005 Spring Census had recently been released by Melbourne Water on their website with 10 frog species recorded across Melbourne at 160 locations.
"Over 1300 people are registered to participate in this exciting program and are helping to both keep a check on the health of our rivers and creeks and our frog population."
"Of the 16 possible frog species living in the Port Phillip and Western Port Catchment, this Census found 10 species including; the Common Froglet, Victorian Smooth Froglet, Pobblebonk or Banjo Frog, Striped Marsh Frog, Spotted Marsh Frog, Southern Brown Tree Frog, Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog, Persons Tree Frog, Whistling Tree Frog and the endangered Growling Grass Frog.
"The Southern Toadlet, which has been identified in previous surveys, do not call in Spring so are absent from this survey."
Ms Williams said the Spring 2006 census was about to get underway with Melbourne Water calling for volunteers to sign up and help keep a check on our amphibious neighbours.
Volunteers for the census receive free training from Melbourne Water and the Amphibian Research Centre as well as a free ‘Frog Kit’, which contains a blank audio tape, a pre-paid Postpak envelope to return their recorded calls, and an instruction booklet on how to record frog calls.
"All that’s required of volunteers is suitable clothes, shoes for fieldwork, their own transport and a willingness to spend some time at their local river, creek or wetland listening out for some of the 16 different frog species known to live around Melbourne," Ms Williams said.
To take part, contact Melbourne Water on 131 722 or contact us on line.
The Frog Census is funded and coordinated by Melbourne Water and run in partnership with the Amphibian Research Centre and Melbourne Waterwatch.
Melbourne Water invests about $26 million a year on protecting and improving rivers and creeks, building wetlands, and creating important habitats for frogs.
Frog Census results and the Frog Census in Schools kit are available at melbournewater.com.au/frogs