Green and Gold Bell Frog Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(micro)
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This public park based cache, surprising as it may seem, will put you in one of the only locations in Sydney where the Green and Gold Bell Frog (Litoria aurea) still survives; suburban Rosebery.
The range of the Green and Gold Bell Frog used to be all up and down the NSW east coast, now they live in only a few select sites which seem to fulfil their needs.
Since the 1960's, there has been a rapid and so far unexplained decline and disappearance of the species over much of its range. This resulted in the species being listed as endangered under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and vulnerable under the Commonwealth’s Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Most historical accounts of the Green and Golden Ben Frog cite farms, dams, streams, swamps, lagoons and other still water bodies as their Habitat. These water bodies were often lined with bulrushes (Typha sp.) or contained spike rushes.
Based on observations of the species since 1992, these habitats can no longer be regarded as “typical" for these frogs. Recent intensive survey work on Green and Golden Bell Frogs has revealed some variety in the habitats that can be used by this species. All of the currently known sites are coastal or near coastal. The most inland site known is near Singleton in the Hunter Valley. The majority of sites are on sandy soil. The majority of sites are also temporary in nature and less than 20 years old. Many of the sites are highly disturbed and have had major habitat alterations. The water bodies found on most sites are ephemeral to some extent and may lack a well-developed emergent plant cover. They either lack fish or have a very low fish density. The water is generally free of chemical pollutants although it may contain floating, solid wastes.
Because Litoria aurea is protected under law, when pockets of them are found, their locations are required to be preserved. In 2000 such a colony was found on the development site of the Sydney Olympics Homebush Bay site. No expense was spared and the colony continues to thrive until this day.
Ten years ago, what was thought to be one of the last colonies of endangered Green and Gold Bell Frogs also held up the construction of a $200 million residential development at Rosebery.
Their numbers had fallen so low a special breeding program was established at Taronga Zoo with 10 adult frogs rescued from the site. But unbeknown to the developer, Meriton, and zoo staff, some of the frogs had taken up residence in a disused above-ground residential swimming pool some distance away.
While the location of the frogs are very localised at the moment, the frog society taking care of them reports they are thriving. So as you take the cache lets hope one day the frog will once again take over the entirety of its Rosebery range.
Geo kiddies will particularly love the location of this cache as it is extremely close to a play ground, so do not attempt the cache if there are muggles close by.
Bring your pen with you and once you have it, please leave the cache exactly as you found it.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ba n uvyyl ohg gvf syng, evovg! (naq vg vf abg va gur fcevaxyref.)