The 20th of March 2024 is World Frog Day and Stockland Aura is jumping with joy to share the exciting results from its annual frog survey.
The findings reveal a ribbiting increase in breeding activity for the protected Acid Frog species, thanks to the community's dedicated habitat rehabilitation efforts over the past 12 months.
Picture this: in just one year, Stockland Aura has expanded its habitat for the Wallum Sedge Frog by a whopping 18 hectares! To put that into perspective, it's like adding 180,000 square meters of frog-friendly space or approximately 144 Olympic swimming pools. This expansion is part of a 12-year-long initiative, during which Stockland Aura has crafted over 150 frog ponds, creating vital stepping stones for our amphibious friends to hop around their designated corridors.
Stockland Senior Development Manager, Mark Stephens said incorporating strategically located wetlands across this conservation land as part of Aura’s design has helped to protect and support the breeding of the vulnerable Wallum Sedge Frog (Litoria olongburensis), as well as other Acid Frog species.
“Over 150 hectares of the 700 hectares of future conservation lands at Stockland Aura has been earmarked as important habitat rehabilitation for Acid Frogs, which includes specially constructed wetlands and foraging areas. The former pine plantation lands were heavily degraded and it’s great to see the rehabilitation efforts deliver strong results and a place where these frogs can call home,” Mr Stephens said.
“Now that we’re making good progress in rehabilitating the land, we are seeing Acid Frogs not only return to the wetlands but also breeding, which is a really exciting marker of the rehabilitation program.
“When compared to our surveys in February and March of 2023 our researchers have reported the habitat supporting the Wallum Sedge Frog has increased by 18 hectares over the past year — that’s the equivalent of 144 Olympic swimming pools of additional frog habitat.
“The thriving frog habitat sits alongside the Stockland Aura community and demonstrates that development can strike a good balance between people and nature.”
Renowned frog habitat restoration expert Dr Mark Bayley, who has worked closely with the Stockland team since 2012, said that to his knowledge, habitat for the Wallum Sedge Frog has never been successfully created on this scale, with the Stockland Aura project representing the largest Wallum Sedge Frog habitat recreation project using methods pioneered by the project team.
“Acid Frogs prefer a wetland that only holds water some of the time and has a unique type of water, one that is naturally low in pH and high in tannin levels. Prior to this project little was known on how this water occurred, or rather, how it was ‘made’,” Dr Bayley said.
Through experimentation, Dr Bayley with the support of the research team, uncovered the delicate interplay that creates these ‘just right’ conditions.
“After numerous soil and water interaction experiments, it was discovered that high organic matter drives pH down within wetlands and clay aquitards across the site can hold the water in the ponds for about the right time.”
Despite Acid Frog habitat often taking up to five years to establish the proper vegetation and water quality to successfully house the species, the Aura frog ponds, some of which were created only two years ago, are showing early signs of success.
“Annual surveys conducted over the past two years have documented the highest number of Acid Frog species within the movement corridors and created ponds to date,” Dr Bayley said.
With over two decades of experience in sustainable community development on the Sunshine Coast, Stockland is thrilled with the results. It's been a collaborative effort involving the community, environmental groups, and international experts, all working together to create a harmonious balance between development and nature.
To learn more about Aura's sustainability credentials and ongoing conservation efforts, hop on over to Aura | A Green City.
Happy World Frog Day, everyone!