Question Citizen Science Volunteer Opportunities - Bogong Moth Tracker

Organisation: SWIFT (State Wide Integrated Flora and Fauna Teams)
Location: National
mothtracker.swifft.net.au/

and

www.zoo.org.au/moth-tracker/

'Welcome to Moth Tracker, a place to record your Bogong Moth sightings to help the conservation of Endangered Bogong Moths and Critically Endangered Mountain Pygmy-possumss. Not sure if a moth you’ve spotted is a Bogong Moth? Upload a photo to Moth Tracker, and our experts will verify your sighting.'

About:
Each spring, Bogong Moths start to migrate, up to 1,000 km, to Australia's alpine zone. Mountain Pygmy-possums also wake up from hibernation, hungry for the nutritious Bogong Moths to eat.
'Bogong Moths usually fly to the possums’ mountain home in the billions, but their numbers have significantly decreased over recent years. This now means the moths are in peril, and there may not be enough food for these tiny possums to raise their young.'

How can you help?
'It's simple: if you see a Bogong Moth, take a photo and upload it to Zoos Victoria's Moth Tracker webpage.
You may see a Bogong Moth around your home or garden; resting during the day or flying overnight.
It’s quick and easy to upload your sighting, and it will help scientists better understand the moths and if they will make it to the mountains this year. Your Bogong Moth sightings can help change the future of Critically Endangered Mountain Pygmy-possums and Endangered Bogong Moths.'

What are Mountain Pygmy-possums?
'With big ears, large eyes, a curly tail and weighing only around 45g, Mountain Pygmy-possums are arguably Australia's cutest possum. They are also Australia's only hibernating marsupial, making them extra special. They are classified as Critically Endangered, with fewer than 2,000 left in the wild and their most recent and urgent threat is the loss of their spring food source, the Bogong Moth. During spring 2018, in the worst affected population, more than 95% of females lost their young when moths largely failed to arrive. Mountain Pygmy-possums are one of the 27 local threatened species that Zoos Victoria are fighting tirelessly to save from extinction.'

Where have the Bogong Moths gone?
'Bogong Moths usually migrate in spring each year, especially from southern Queensland, central NSW and western Victoria to the Australian Alps, and then back again in autumn. Recent research suggests they may also be in South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, but more data is needed - including via Moth Tracker. Bogong Moths are facing a number of threats, including extreme weather events, drought and climate change, light pollution on their migration routes, changed wide-scale agricultural practices and insecticides, predation by introduced species and habitat loss. Following an estimated 99.5% collapse, Bogong Moths were added to the IUCN Endangered Species list in December 2021. Scientists are currently working hard to understand more about the decline of Bogong Moths and how to protect the species, so with Moth Tracker, we can all do our bit to help! During the Bogong Moth’s spring to summer migration in 2023, we received 594 moth sightings on Moth Tracker, with 291 of those confirmed to be Endangered Bogong Moths. To all the Moth Trackers out there, thank you for your support!'