The Victorian Frog Census app needs citizen scientists to count frogs as September begins and so does breeding season.
The Frog Census is a citizen science initiative by Melbourne Water aiming to collect data on Victoria’s frog population to help scientists and conservationists.
The app allows you to record and submit frog calls which a group of experts then analyse it to find out what kind of frog you discovered.
Untitled Visualisation
Beautiful, easy data visualization and storytelling
In the above graph you can see that the number of frogs counted each month starts to climb in September before peaking in October and declining through the rest of the Summer months.
Melbourne Water uses the data “to inform our planning and decisions on waterway health,” and share biodiversity knowledge.
But citizen science programs are not perfect, this graph shows a spike in the frog population from 2007 into the following year and 2017, when the smartphone app was launched.
Victorian Frog Census
Beautiful, easy data visualization and storytelling
However, it was public participation in the count that increased in 2007 and 2017, when the app was launched, not the frog population.
In 2007 international concern about declining frog populations globally was growing internationally, with world conservationists naming 2008 the Year of the Frog.
So growing public awareness of the plight of frogs is likely to blame for the 2007 spike in frog numbers.
But frog populations have not seen significant growth since, according to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment at least 4 of Australia’s more than 240 frog species have become extinct since 2000.
With a further 36 Australian frog species falling on the critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable lists and that number is growing quickly.
Untitled Visualisation
Beautiful, easy data visualization and storytelling
So more than 15 per cent of Australian frog species are under threat, which both has major effects on the environment and tells us a bit about the health of the environment now.
Because frogs are bio indicators, which according to the Frog and Tadpole Study Group NSW means they “are animals and plants that can be used to determine the state of health of freshwater habitats.”
Frogs have very sensitive skin and bodies so they need perfect conditions to survive, if frogs are present in an area, it usually means that habitat is thriving.
So citizen scientists taking part in the Frog Census are also encouraged to build healthy frog habitats in their garden or community too.
The Melbourne Water website has resources on how to download and use the Frog Census smartphone app along with educational resources and information on how to build your Frog Bog.
