A Natural Triumph: The Prospering Population of the Green and Golden Bell Frog at Willinga Park
Once one of the most common amphibians in south-eastern Australia, the Green and Golden Bell Frog is now classified as globally vulnerable and remains a threatened species in New South Wales. At Willinga Park, however, this iconic frog has made an extraordinary comeback.
When Willinga Park began development in 2010, there was no evidence of Bell Frogs on the property. Today, thanks to dedicated environmental design and restoration efforts, the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog has returned and is prospering.
The transformation of more than 10 hectares of degraded grazing land into Willinga Park's award-winning botanic gardens has created the perfect habitat for these precious amphibians. With over 20,000 Australian native trees, shrubs, and plants, which many are endemics to the region, the gardens now support a diverse and thriving ecosystem.
Integral to this success is Willinga Park's innovative water management system. Featuring pools, a large reservoir, and carefully designed pathways, the system captures runoff, recirculates nutrients, and helps recharge groundwater aquifers, providing the lush, stable conditions that Bell Frogs need to survive and breed.
The first confirmed return of the Green and Golden Bell Frogs to Willinga Park was recorded in 2011. By 2017, over 20 individual sightings, and today the number of sightings has boomed. This growth signals a healthy, sustainable environment that supports not only the Bell Frog but a wide array of native fauna.
Willinga Park is proud to be a haven for this once-vanishing speicies. Ongoing conservation efforts, habitat management, and ecology monitoring ensures the continued health of the population and the natural systems that support them.
What was once overgrazed pastureland is now a prospering biodiverse sanctuary which is proof that thoughtful environmental design and long-term vision can reverse the decline of endangered speices and restores balance to the land.
