It’s FrogID Week – Join in the 2022 National Frog Survey
Pre-survey discussions with the survey team checking out the Australian Museum’s Frog ID app.
This week, 11–20 November is Frog ID Week.
As one of the more beautiful sunny days Mulloon has seen in a long time drew to a close (blessed be the rain!), a group of intrepid (and brave!) volunteers and staff from the Mulloon Institute met for a debriefing about the frog survey they were to conduct that night, 9 November 2022. Amongst food and laughter, the possible dangers of ‘island-hopping’ through marshy swamps and avoiding wombat holes (more palatial than a simple hobbit hole) were discussed. Navigation, maps, scientific data sheets and use of mobile phones to record frog calls using the Australian Museum’s Frog ID app were also discussed in detail. With some helpful advice on the importance of allowing the frogs to settle after being disturbed by we clompy-footed humans trying to find the identified site in the night, we set out in seven groups, spread throughout the Mulloon catchment.
After much rain this year, we were pleased to be greeted by a cacophony of frogs singing in all the 64 sites we visited. It was of interest to note however, it seemed more voices were coming from the rain-inundated paddocks with numerous ponds and wetlands, than from the flowing streams. Regular flood and pulse events in the creek may have also contributed to the frogs spreading out from the main waterways.
Having now completed three successful frog survey evenings in 2017, 2021 and 2022, we look forward to the scientific results from the 2022 frog survey to assess where change is happening along the Mulloon Creek catchment.
A big thank you to all the landholders for their ongoing assistance and support of the work of the Mulloon Institute. Also, we wish to extend our gratitude to Sam Patmore for joining us on the night, and his ongoing work in analysing the many recordings the team collected in the catchment.
The Mulloon Rehydration Initiative is jointly funded through the Mulloon Institute and the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and with assistance from the NSW Environmental Trust.
Practice your frog identification skills here with this range of individual calls and frog choruses.