Sara Walker of Margaret River Independent School was granted a $500 Roots & Shoots Mini Grant 2019 to help with her frog bog project. In order to complete the project, students had to weed the designated area, removing the rubbish and non-native plants along with it. Students researched habitats and created a 3D model of the necessities for a sustainable environment for the frogs. To separate the frog area from the playground, a fence was created, with native wisteria planted along the fence line. Additionally, a hole was dug to create a wet area for winter, in addition to native plants, coffee rock, river rock and leaf litter to provide shelter for the frogs. Finally, a digital microscope and vernier callipers (a tool for taking measurements) were purchased to identify and measure the frogs on a weekly basis. From this project, the students learn valuable team work skills, learnt to engage with others, gained a greater awareness of environmental issues and improved their mental wellbeing from engaging with nature. The frogs found in the bog include the slender, clicking and quacking frogs. None of these are endangered. The information gathered from the frog bog is being used in classes to learn about rainfall, frogs, frog calls, lifecycles and habitats. The results gathered from the frog bog are being put into books decorated by the class and will continue to be updated as the frog bog develops. Sara plans to share the results with the WA Museum when she collects more information on the frogs in the project. Congratulations for Sara and the group for accomplishing this!
JGIA acknowledges the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands and pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present.