Educational tours

Educational tours at the Amphibian Research Centre

The Western Treatment Plant in Werribee has long been a place for school students to learn about water. Now your school can learn about frogs in the most practical way at the Amphibian Research Centre. You can even combine Melbourne Water activities with ARC activities in the same day.

Learn all you can about frogs and what is happening to our unique amphibians. Discover why frogs are declining in numbers and what you can do to aid their survival. What is the Amphibian Research Centre and what does it do?

Bookings are essential and can be organised through Melbourne Water Education. Call (03) 9235 2253 or write to: education@melbournewater.com.au.

Currently available tours

+ 44 kb Get hands-on with the inhabitants of the Amphibian Research Centre.

The following are best suited to CSF II levels 3 and 4.

Life cycles

Explore a frog's life cycle. See metamorphosis and learn how a tadpole becomes a terrestrial creature. Take home a tadpole kit* and watch your own frog life cycle in the classroom!

* - additional charges apply

Food chains

Watch a frog eat a live cricket and push it down its throat with its eyes! Learn about warning colour, camouflage, escape and other amphibian strategies to avoid being eaten.

Adaptations and environments

Learn about amphibian survival mechanisms. Meet frogs who've invented poisons and medicines, developed ways to withstand freezing, drying and even death in their quest to occupy the earth's diverse environments.

+ 43 kb Learn about the habitat of Australia's frogs - from rainforest to bathrooms.

Endangered species

Human changes to habitats are causing frogs to disappear. Meet Australia's most endangered frog, see what local scientists are doing and learn what you can do to save our precious amphibian species.