Community members can contribute to critical work happening right now to save a tiny and critically endangered frog, found only in the South West, from slipping into extinction.
South West NRM has launched a six-week crowdfunding campaign to extend the life of its project designed to test whether rehydrating creek beds – which have at times become too dry for white-bellied frogs to breed – could work.
CEO Dr Manda Page said extending the project would allow for continued collection of critical monitoring data at the project site and help ensure work already completed would have the greatest impact.
“The white-bellied frog faces mounting pressures from habitat loss and a drying climate,” Dr Page said.
“We know that time is short. Right now every drop counts and this crowdfunding approach gives everyone — individuals, businesses, schools, community groups — the opportunity to join in and help protect a species teetering on the brink.
“This is local conservation powered by community.”
Why we must act
The white-bellied frog is about the size of your thumbnail and is clinging to existence in a very small area near Margaret River.
They have highly specific habitat requirements – including high soil moisture levels – and their tiny size means they can’t travel far in search of a new home when their existing one becomes unsuitable.
A large proportion of previously-known populations are already locally extinct.
Dr Page said the South West of WA is one of the most rapidly drying regions in Australia with a drop in annual rainfall of approximately 20% since the 1970s.
“The level of peril only continues to escalate for those plants and animals which are struggling to adapt to the changing climatic conditions,” Dr Page said.
“While a potential solution has been engineered for the white-bellied frog, we can’t know if it is really working without the opportunity to monitor outcomes across another hot summer.”
Dr Page suggested if community members were unable to contribute financially to the campaign, sharing information about it within their networks could help make a difference.