​​G'day my name is Ed and I’ll be the Project Coordinator this year for Kuranda Envirocare’s Frog Friendly Waterways citizen science program. That’s a bit of mouthful but the basics are I’ll be helping to lead and teach anyone that wants to get involved in our activities that gather data on our local critically endangered frog the Kuranda tree frog (Litoria myola)

​The big reason we can run this program and I'm writing this blog is that we have been lucky enough to receive a grant from the Queensland Government as part of the Office of the Queensland Chief Scientist’s Engaging Science Grants program. This is a great opportunity for us as a community to get together and not only learn more about our natural environment but how science can be used to improve that knowledge and document changes in our creeks. It also represents a commitment from the Queensland Government to getting more people involved in citizen science projects and engaging with scientists, which is fantastic!
 
So, lots to possibly talk about like why me? Why the frog? And what’s citizen science?

Me releasing a Northern Bettong as part of a research project Photo: Chris Pocknee

Some of you may have met me if you have come along to a frog monitoring night over the last 3 years, but it’s a bit tricky in the dark when we all have head torches to remember names and faces. 
 
I’ve been volunteering with Kuranda Envirocare since pretty much the week I arrived in Australia back in 2019. I moved out here with my partner who is from Kuranda, and we live down Oak Forest so right in the range of the Kuranda Tree Frog. My background is in biology and conservation having worked professionally for a conservation charity in the UK for nearly 6 years prior to moving here.

 I have a background in field work across various taxa from Parrots and Iguanas in the Caribbean to Bats in the UK and over here Bettong's, finches and frogs! I'm currently a mature student at JCU studying for a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Zoology and Ecology. The main thing about a lot of my experience is that it’s been done by me as a curious citizen with a love for nature not as a paid employee.

Litoria myola Photo: Rhys Sharry

So why the frog? The Kuranda tree frog is a critically endangered frog found only in the Kuranda area in a handful of creeks that flow into the Barron River. Its endemic to the Kuranda area - what’s endemic you may ask? Endemic is a term used to describe a living or extinct thing that is unique to a certain place. Being found in such a small area puts it at a much higher risk of extinction, think of the expression "all your eggs in one basket" where the eggs are frogs and the basket is Kuranda! I'll be posting a Frog of the Month post soon with more details and each month I aim to share a little more about other species we find in our community. 
 
The final one is a big one and it’s the key part of everything we do and hope to do over this year and into the future - citizen science!
 
So, citizen science is not new, and you may have already taken part unknowingly - like by doing the Birdlife Australia Backyard Bird Count or using the Frog ID app from the Australian museum. Here in Kuranda the frog monitoring that is done monthly and has been for 9 years now is an example of a long running citizen science program. 
 
The Australian Citizen Science Association defines citizen science as “citizen science involves public participation and collaboration in scientific research with the aim to increase scientific knowledge”. 
 
The main thing to take away is there are lots of ways to get involved and learn more about science here in the Wet Tropics and you don’t necessarily need experience so get in touch with me via email kuranda.envirocare.science@gmail.com to learn more! 
 

This project is proudly supported by the Queensland Government -
Engaging Science Grants.