Tag Archives: Australian Museum

FrogID Week: Friday 6 – Sunday 15 November, 2020

FrogID Week starts Friday 6th November! To find out more and download the app click here https://www.frogid.net.au/frog-id-week

FrogID Week is Australia’s Biggest Frog Count, held annually for Australians to help record frog calls through the free FrogID app, as a measurement of frog health and distribution around the nation. It aims to monitor frog distributions over time, helping us to understand how frogs and their ecosystems are responding to a changing planet.

FrogID Week starts next week and we need the entire FrogID community to get involved! Every recording contributes to our annual ‘audioshot’ of Australian frogs, and helps us measure the health of our frogs and environment.

This year, we have a competition for the FrogID user who submits the highest submissions of verified frogs during FrogID Week. The ‘Top Frogger’ will win a Bunnings gift card valued at $500, as well as a video conference opportunity with FrogID Lead Scientist, Dr Jodi Rowley! Please familiarise yourself with the Terms & Conditions of our Top Frogger competition here. 

FrogID Week 2020 banner

Image: Southern Barred Frog (Mixophyes balbus) by Jodi Rowley.

Thanks to your FrogID submissions from all across Australia, the FrogID team have produced seven scientific papers so far. This month, FrogID research revealed that Australian frogs indeed have accents, and their accents change across the country, and even over time. We also used FrogID data to take a closer look at just how much frogs restrict their calling to night-time, and found that most Australian frogs actually call during the day, some at surprisingly high rates!

All the research produced by the FrogID project is a reminder of how your records are providing information about frogs on scales never before possible. Last month, we revealed how your FrogID records are providing an early understanding of frogs persisting after the Black Summer bushfires, but this picture is not yet complete. Your continued use of FrogID is very important this year, more than ever.

Whether you’re at a nearby creek, pond, nature reserve, or your own backyard – every recording of a frog call contributes to our research. So far, FrogID has identified more than 250,000 frog calls and identified 199 of the known 242 Australian frog species. During FrogID Week last year, over 5,000 frog records from 71 species were counted! The best way to stay up to date with this year’s FrogID Week information, stats, and exciting discoveries, is by following us on social media.

If you’re planning any FrogID Week activities in your community and would like help seeking local media opportunities, let us know by emailing calls@frogid.net.au

With La Niña underway and the likelihood of above average rainfall across much of Australia, we hope more frogs will be breeding and calling this year. Head outside each day of FrogID Week and help us find calling frogs – together, we can build our understanding and better protect our frog species.

Safe frogging, everyone!

Streamwatch 30 Year Celebration – Live Stream

In Celebration of Streamwatch and its 30th anniversary of three decades of independent Water Quality Monitoring in Sydney.

The 30th anniversary marks a celebration of the dedication and preservation by all the amazing volunteers, which make Streamwatch possible, keeping it one of the longest running water quality citizen science programs across Sydney.

Grab a cuppa, comfy chair and your computer to join us for this online event.

https://youtu.be/vOZF3lWZpAA

Celebrating Streamwatch 30 year anniversary Courtesy: Streamwatch

Guest speakers:

  • Greg McDonald discusses Streamwatch, Stewardship and Environmental Protection.
  • Dr Ian Wright presents a case study where Streamwatch data was instrumental in putting a spotlight on water pollution.
  • Dr Michelle Ryan talks about the results of her pilot study in urban Sydney, utilizing volunteer citizen scientists with Sue Martin, the Cattai Hills Environmental Network (CHEN), and their surprise findings on the elusive platypus.
  • Christopher Noon, discusses the future direction of Streamwatch from the Convenor Streamwatch Subcommittee, and their project with Kristy Guise, Hornsby Shire Council’s environmental water scientist.

This 30th anniversary marks a celebration of the dedication and preservation by all the amazing volunteers! Which make Streamwatch possible, keeping it one of the longest running water quality citizen science programs across Sydney. Initiated by Sydney Water and the Sydney Catchment Authority. From it’s humble beginnings, Streamwatch started with a trial of 15 schools in 1990. From 1991 to 1994 Streamwatch became a project of the Special Environment Levy Trust.

The Streamwatch program originally had a focus on curriculum implementation in secondary schools, but quickly extended beyond schools into a citizen science program. Similar programs were emerging in other states, the famous Round Table conference in Cobram, Victoria, led to cooperation in developing community water quality monitoring programs. This led to Waterwatch Australia being established as the umbrella coordinating group for developing community water monitoring.

In 2000, Streamwatch was renamed as Waterwatch for all areas outside of Sydney Water’s area of operation. Since it all began, there have been over 1,100 Streamwatch groups who have monitored water quality at over 1,060 sites, and have contributed almost 31,000 data sets to the online database.

These groups have been spread across greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Illawarra and Southern Highlands regions. As of June 2019, the Streamwatch program is in transferring from the Australian Museum to Greater Sydney Landcare Network.