Shellharbour City Council is encouraging residents to participate in FrogID Week from Friday 6 to Sunday 15 November, to help identify different frog species living throughout the city.

FrogID Week is held annually by the Australian Museum’s FrogID Citizen Science program to identify where frogs are thriving and where they are most at risk from habitat loss, disease and climate change.

Each year people across the country contribute to mapping frog species by recording and uploading frog calls through the free FrogID smartphone app.

Shellharbour Mayor Marianne Saliba said that the project was a fun opportunity to learn more about local frog species and contribute to valuable data to help protect them.

“Each frog species has a unique call and with over 30 different frog species living in the Illawarra, you may be surprised at some of the interesting calls you can discover,” Cr Saliba said.

Residents can also join in a new self-guided Backyard Nature Walk at the Shellharbour Civic Centre that features an interactive audio wheel with the calls of eight frogs found in the city.

Designed to allow connection to nature in a fun and accessible way, the Backyard Nature Walk features extensive areas of garden beds with pathways, and educational signage about Grey-headed Flying Foxes, Port Jackson Figs, native bees and frogs.

The walk introduces residents to common and threatened frogs in the Shellharbour area, including Wild Peron’s Tree Frogs, Eastern Dwarf Tree Frogs or Common Eastern Froglets.

The Backyard Nature Walk is located behind the Shellharbour Civic Centre and is accessible from the car park or side paths at 76 Cygnet Avenue Shellharbour City Centre. For details see www.shellharbourciviccentre.com.au or download the Tread Shellharbour app at www.mytoursapp.com/apps/tread-shellharbour.

For more information or to become involved in FrogID Week head to www.frogid.net.au or download the free FrogID app.

Media queries: Kelli Wells 0448 361 00