Fauna Monitoring

Since 2021, citizen scientists have been actively monitoring the Growling Grass Frog (Litoria raniformis) populations in the Darebin Creek Catchment. This program has been integral in tracking the status and health of these frogs, whose populations are declining. Volunteers contribute by monitoring a variety of sites, usually between November and January, during the frogs’ breeding season when their calls are most prominent.

Key Elements of the Program:

• Monitoring Sites: Approximately 30 sites along the Darebin Creek are being monitored by volunteers.
• Monitoring Methods: Volunteers listen for frog calls and actively search for frogs during the summer months, specifically between November and January.
• Data Analysis: Data collected by volunteers, along with historical population and habitat records, are analysed by the Darebin Creek Management Committee (DCMC). This helps to understand population size, trends, and the condition of habitats.
• Conservation Implications: The DCMC’s analysis and broader Department of Environment, Land, Water, and Planning (DELWP) monitoring revealed a decline in Growling Grass Frog populations, indicating a trajectory toward potential regional extinction. This emphasizes the urgent need for conservation efforts.
  
  

Results and Developments:

2024/2025 Season (Ongoing)

• Volunteers: 16
• Sites Covered: 22
• Frogs Found: Growling Grass Frog, Peron’s Tree Frog
• Notable Observations: An exciting increase in the number of sites where Growling Grass Frogs have been heard, particularly in the Reservoir area. Both adults and tadpoles have been spotted in areas along Darebin Creek and wetland habitats. Monitoring is still ongoing for this season, with further updates to come.

2023/2024 Season

• Volunteers: 15
• Sites Covered: 24

• Frogs Found: Growling Grass Frog, Pobblebonk Frog, Peron’s Tree Frog, Spotted Marsh Frog, Eastern Common Froglet, Ewing’s Tree Frog.

• Notable Observations: Growling Grass frogs were found at several sites from Wollert through to Bundoora with Reservoir being the most southern population.

2022/2023 Season

• Volunteers: 30
• Sites Covered: 37
• Frogs Found: Growling Grass Frog, Pobblebonk Frog, Peron’s Tree Frog, Spotted Marsh Frog, Eastern Common Froglet, Ewing’s Tree Frog.
• Notable Observations: The most prolific GGF breeding area is the Hanson Quarry site in Wollert.  As we shined our torches across the ponds we were astonished to see hundreds of eyes shining back at us.  It is very satisfying to see them thriving and gives us hope that we can secure a sustainable future for the species. Sadly, no GGF were recorded at the constructed wetlands at Blau Crescent for the second consecutive season suggesting that the species may have become locally extinct. 

2021/2022 Season

• Volunteers: 21
• Sites Covered: 31

• Frogs Found: Growling Grass Frog, Pobblebonk Frog, Peron’s Tree Frog, Spotted Marsh Frog, Eastern Common Froglet, Ewing’s Tree Frog.
  
  

Get Involved!

The monitoring program continues annually. Volunteers play a critical role in gathering essential data, contributing to both local conservation efforts and broader environmental understanding. If you’re interested in getting contact the Darebin Creek Management Committee for more information on how to get involved in the upcoming seasons.

Growling Grass Frog PhD

DCMC has partnered with Melbourne University and the Heidelberg Materials Quarry to create a PhD scholarship funded through the Morris Animal Foundation.  The research will study diverse aspects of Growling Grass frogs (GGFs)  including their survival in man-made habitats (quarries, water treatment plants) despite the presence of multiple contaminants and chytridiomycosis (the frog disease caused by the Chytrid fungus),  the impact of water quality parameters on egg and larval development, dynamics of chytridiomycosis in their habitats and stakeholder perception on habitat conservation and facilitating reproduction of GGFs.  We hope the research leads to a better understanding of GGF habitat requirements that can inform our conservation actions in the Darebin Creek Valley and beyond.