The species has not been recorded at the Winton Wetlands site since 1970 and are now deemed locally extinct.
Growling grass frogs are regarded as an important species to wetland ecosystems as they are a predator to insects and other frogs making them functionally different from other frog species.
They are also known to be an important food source for predatory wetland birds.
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Rewilding growling grass frogs into the Winton Wetlands reserve and other areas will help secure the species’ status locally and regionally, increase biodiversity on the site and will restore critical ecological functions and processes to the Winton Wetlands site.
Stage one of the Winton Wetlands Rewilding Project, funded by Wettenhall Environment Trust, involved determining the habitat suitability of the site and the risk of disease for growling grass frogs.
The team at Winton Wetlands is excited to have received $51,000 in funding from The Ross Trust and the Wettenhall Environment Trust combined to continue stage two of the project.
Winton Wetlands chief executive officer Sue Lebish said: "We are so pleased to receive joint funding for this project from the Ross Trust and Wettenhall Environment Fund (WET), which builds upon previous work in stage one of the Growler Project, also funded by WET.”
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Stage two involves the establishment of our:
● Translocation protocols, approvals & quarantine facilities;
● Breeding & feeding system; and
● Research & monitoring plan and equipment.
Stage two is the essential step to establish a captive breeding population to allow reintroduction of the species on-site and involves a network of growling grass frogs researchers and conservationists throughout Victoria, South Australia, and NSW.
This will involve the construction of appropriate facilities to house and breed growling grass frogs and the establishment of a research and monitoring plan along with relevant equipment to allow the team to assess population genetics and the movement/dispersal of growling grass frogs through the wetlands.
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There will be a unique opportunity for community and school groups to be involved in the husbandry of the captive frogs through the "Growing Grub for Growlers" (GG4G) initiative.
Winton Wetlands restoration ecologist Lisa Farnsworth said GG4G offers schools and community groups the opportunity to directly support stage two of the project.
“(They can do that) by ‘Growing grub for Growlers’- that is, growing fresh leafy green vegetables and colonies of cockroaches and crickets that will be used to feed the captive population of adult growling grass frogs and their tadpoles,” Ms Farnsworth said.
“They will then be given the opportunity to visit our captive breeding colony of frogs.
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“This will be an innovative means of educating the general public about growling grass frogs ecology and conservation, at every stage of its lifecycle.”
Winton Wetlands restoration ecologist Lance Lloyd said ultimately rewilding of the species would help secure its status locally and regionally.
“(Subsequently) becoming a ‘source’ population for further rewilding events in other wetlands within the region,” Mr Lloyd said.
“In the final stage of our project, growling grass Frogs from our breeding infrastructure.
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