We’re thrilled to welcome the newest WaterWatch (WW) group to the Merri Creek Management Committee community — the Growling Grass Frogs at Fawkner!
This group was formed in late 2024 following a request from the Fawkner community, particularly residents from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. They identified a gap in local WaterWatch activity and shared concerns about the water quality of Merri Creek and the new wetlands at Moomba Park.
The group monitors water quality monthly, testing for salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and nutrients. They also conduct frog surveys during the breeding season, with a special focus on the threatened Growling Grass Frog (GGF). All frog data collected is contributed to the Melbourne Water Frog Census App.
On their most recent sampling day — Saturday, 12 April — the team recorded encouraging results: dissolved oxygen, pH, and reactive phosphate levels were all within expected ranges for the area. Turbidity was excellent at just 10 NTUs, but salinity was notably high, exceeding 2000 EC.
If you’re a Fawkner local and would like to get involved, the group monitors once a month on weekends and welcomes older children to join. For more information, contact Julia Cirillo (MCMC WaterWatch Coordinator) at JuliaCirillo@mcmc.org.au.
A huge thank you to the Wettenhall Environment Trust for supporting the launch of this group, and to STEM Catalyst for helping spread the word throughout the Fawkner community!
