A group of endangered, emerald-green critters can now call Sydenham Park home following revegetation of the corridor linking the park to the Organ Pipes National Park at Keilor north.
Growling grass frogs will be able to take up residence beneath 12,800 more trees once they’re planted in the 33-hectare stretch along the Jacksons Creek reserve.
University of Melbourne School of Botany researcher Geoff Heard said that in the 10 years up to 2012, there had been a 29 per cent decline in local growling grass frog populations.
“We had anticipated a decline, but a third over a decade is really quite severe,” Dr Heard said.
“While urbanisation is going to go ahead, there are things we can do.
”We must protect high-quality wetlands and make sure they are not degraded. We need to maintain significant parkland along our creeks.
“And we need to invest heavily in constructing new wetlands to offset the impacts of urbanisation,” he said.
Friends of Organ Pipes National Park has received a $67,550 federal grant and met late last month to plot the planting program, which will take about three years.
Organ Pipes National Park grants officer Ian Taylor said while the frogs would benefit, the impact of the revegetation and wetland works would be more far reaching.
“We’re looking to provide a habitat for a great number of species, including the sugar glider bats, other grassland species and animals,” Mr Taylor said.
“It’s an area of the park that has long been neglected and, with the monitoring of ground flora and ongoing management of weeds, the works will never end. We had Gilson College students join us for lots of planting, and hopefully it will be the same thing this year.”
