Everything is connected
BOGONG MOTHS LISTED AS ENDANGERED
In December 2021 the Bogong Moth was listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. There has been a massive decline in moth numbers in the last few years — likely due to a mix of extreme droughts, pesticides and changes in farming practices. The moth’s population crash has flow-on effects for other species, for example, those that feed on it including marsupials and birds.
Did you know?
The larvae of Bogong Moths are called “black cutworms”.
The adult moths’ nocturnal migration in spring takes them more than 1,000 km from southern Queensland to the Australian Alps, with the reverse journey in autumn.
During times of critical food shortages, food-drop drones have been used to deliver “bogong bikkies” to moth-reliant animals, such as endangered Mountain Pygmy Possums.
GOOD NEWS FLASH: NEW FROG SPECIES!
Wollumbin Pouched Frog (Assa wollumbin) is a newly described species of “hip-pocket” frog. This tiny 16mm species was found in the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area within Wollumbin National Park, northern NSW. It is one of only two frog species worldwide where males care for their young (tadpoles) in special pouches on their hips.
You can listen to the frog here:
AUSTRALIAN PLANTS ARE SUPER SPECIAL
and we need to pay them more attention!
84% are found nowhere else in the world.
77% of our 1,800 or so threatened species are plants.
Want to help?
Find local threatened species on the NSW Government’s BioNet website or Threatened Species app.
Visit a local plant site once or twice a year to count the number of individuals in a consistent, well-defined area — use the same method each visit and make sure not to disturb or damage plants and animals.
Contribute your data to the Threatened Plant Index.