On the Expedition
Help scientists unravel the mystery of the world's vanishing frog species in the ancient rainforests of eastern Australian.
Join Associate Professor Michael Mahony from the University of Newcastle and explore the wonders of the mountain forests in Australia’s Watagan National Park. During your week here you will be collecting data that will help scientists understand how our frog populations might cope or flounder as they encounter chytrid infections.
Working primarily at night, when frogs are most active, you’ll walk in and around streams and creeks using spotlight to find, catch, weight, measure and release frogs and tadpoles. You‘ll observe their behaviour, record their calls and do some preliminary data analysis as you work together as a field research team.
In the past Earthwatch volunteers have contributed to the exciting discovery of four new species of frog and have identified both healthy and struggling frog populations. Teams are now needed to find out why some frogs are dying while others are flourishing.
The rainforests of Australia’s mountains are home to some amazing variety of wildlife and you will be sure to see an array of interesting creatures on your night-time discoveries. In your spare time you can search for birds, possums, and kangaroos as well as have time for a swim or walk through the rainforest.
Meals and Accommodations
Based in one of Australia’s most pristine parks in Australia you will enjoy the privacy of your own two or three person tent. The team will share cooking duties and eat together in a large tent, which will also serve as our general laboratory.
About the Research Area
Watagan National Park, New South Wales
The rainforests of the Eastern escarpment form part of the World Heritage Area in the Great Escarpment of the Great Dividing Range. This range runs roughly parallel to the east coast of Australia and boasts some of the country’s finest rainforest scenery.
These forests contain flora that has its origins and evolution in the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana, and the flowering trees are ancestors to the flowering trees of the world. The Great Dividing Range is perhaps the most significant landscape feature of the eastern seaboard and also houses a rich cultural heritage of more than 40 Aboriginal sites.