Community members are being called on to contribute to extending vital research on a tiny South West frog

Community members are being called on to contribute to extending vital research into a critically endangered South West amphibian — the white-bellied frog. South West Natural Resource Management have launched a six-week crowdfunding campaign to extend the life of its project designed to test whether rehydrating creek beds could stop the tiny frog from slipping into extinction. NRM chief executive 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,” she 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.” The fingernail sized frog is only found in a small area near Margaret River with a large proportion of previously known populations already locally extinct. The frogs have highly specific habitat requirements and their tiny size means they can’t travel far in search of a new home. Dr Page said the South West is one of the most rapidly drying regions in Australia with a drop in annual rainfall of about 20 per cent 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.” The Every Drop Counts crowdfunding campaign can be found at https://www.chuffed.org/project/saving-the-white-bellied-frog or on the South West NRM’s website.