A heartfelt cry from the Kununurra Community to the Nation. We will Stop the Cane Toads getting into WA! |
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KIMBERLEY SPECIALISTS IN RESEARCH CANE TOAD NEWSLETTER 1 By Lee Scott-Virtue
17 September 2005 "The Cane Toad is a Key Threatening Process to the Australian Nation" Federal Government 12 April 2005 Email: kimberleyspecialists@westnet.com.au Website: www.kimberleyspecialists.com.au Register NOW! FOR TOADBUSTING TRAINING AND VOLUNTEERING If you would like to put your name down for 'Cane Toad Busting Training' and ‘Volunteering’ please contact: Lee or Dean on 91682576 or kimberleyspecialists@westnet.com.au Sara Brett on 91691229 or kimberleyvet@westnet.com.au
VICTORIA RIVER ROADHOUSE Catching CANE TOAD volunteer inaugural training weekend a HUGE SUCCESS!
Wonderfully successful volunteer training weekend was initiated and organised by Kimberley Specialists in Research on behalf of the Kununurra Community. A very special thanks to Graeme Sawyer from Northern Frogwatch (and his family) for their time and effort in assisting us (the WA East Kimberley community) in the educational aspects of not only knowing how to identify the cane toad in its many 'growth' phases but also how to work in the field trapping and catching cane toads. Martin Hadley, one of Calm’s most experienced field cane toad officers, attended the training exercise as a community volunteer with his wife Fabiola. His expertise and knowledge was an invaluable contribution to the success of this first volunteer community training exercise. And without local veterinarian, the 'veritable' Dr Sarah Brett, her entourage of supporters and other individuals, this weekend would not have been possible. Jeff Hayley (as usual working behind the scenes) donated his 21 seater bus and a tank of fuel to assist in the movement of volunteers 270kms to the workshop at the Victoria River Roadhouse. WA’s conservation authority, CALM was represented by Karin Carnes, temporary Cane Toad Project Officer. Karin's presence showed CALM's support for the Community Volunteer Training Program. Karin put her own unpaid time into this exercise on behalf of CALM. 40 people attended this first training exercise, almost half represented by Aboriginal elders and its community members. The absolutely marvellous input and concern shown by Olympian, Cathy Freeman and Deborah Mailman (ABC Secret Life of Us) (who spent quite a lot of time with us on the first day of the training exercise) contributed to the success and highlighted the concern of Aboriginal people on the impact of the cane toad if it reaches the Kimberley. |
NOTES ON OUR INAUGURAL EXERCISE. Toad Busting and Training Weekend prepared by Kimberley Specialists in Research
2: Northern Frogwatch Graeme Sawyer provided his expertise to help us (the Kimberley community volunteer group) to identify what we can do to stop the toad. Graeme provided both workshop and on-ground training exercises to the volunteer group in how to identify toad eggs and juveniles, how to handle adult cane toads safely, principles of netting and trapping, how to identify those area most likely to contain cane toad inclusions, and various other toad busting techniques. All in all an incredibly useful learning exercise as well as being able to put a ‘dent’ in the cane toad population around the Victoria Roadhouse. 3: This first Toad Busting Exercise was also an exercise to train 'leaders' so that each volunteer group working with CALM and other government and community organisations in the NT in the future will have someone who has experience on the ground to lead each small volunteer group as requested and when required. This will also mean we have 2 or 3 dozen 'leaders' in reserve and we can then begin to work on an urgent roster system for the many months ahead. 4: A number of individuals also provided their own vehicles and it is perceived that this will continue to be the case until CALM and other agencies begin using the volunteer group. All involved in the training exercise provided their own swags and general camping equipment. Eventually, through the coordination of Stop The Toad Foundation and CALM it is hoped that the volunteer coordinating group will have their own vehicles, camping and toad busting equipment in order to better facilitate each Toad Busting Exercise.
6: The next volunteer toad busting and training exercise is planned for the 1 st and 2 nd of October. Details for this exercise are on the cane toad website www.canetoads.com.au EXCERPTS FROM JUSTLY EUPHORIC MEDIA RELEASE POST INAUGURAL TOAD BUSTING WEEKEND Community Driven Cane Toad Volunteer Leadership Toad Busting and Training Weekend a huge success
The Toad Busting training exercise held at the Victoria River Roadhouse last the weekend 10 -11 September attracted 40 participants... Following dinner, the toad busters with lights, and plastic bags went toad-busting. “Martin Hadley, CALM’s most experienced cane toad field officer and his wife attended the volunteer training exercise as community members but provided enormous assistance in making this first volunteer training exercise the success it was” said Sandra Boulter... “Congratulations to everyone who participated in the training and can now take this knowledge into the community and support other willing volunteers”, said Lee Scott – Virtue. “The indigenous and non-indigenous children who were present delighted in the night torch lit exercise, shrieking proudly with every toad discovered and caught. The joy in the learning and joining in of the children with the adults was palpable and an unexpected side of the night”, said Lee Scott – Virtue. “It was agreed by everyone at the training exercise, including the agency representatives, that the only way to successfully resist the invasion is for a sustainable and well supported community volunteer program working with the co-ordinated help of government agencies both sides of the border,” said Graeme Sawyer.
“We urgently need any relevant permissions, or acknowledgement that we do not need permissions, and support of and facilitation by the NT government for our volunteers led by trained leaders, to enter the NT National Parks and other lands to catch these pests”, requested Dean Goodgame. “The adult frogs from last year about ready to breed in the upcoming wet, can be found and destroyed if we get to them while there is so little water around as these are the only places they can have survived while growing to reproductive age. From government we just need the information where to go and help to mobilise our volunteers, 100s of whom have signed up to help ” said Sarah Brett
Local donations which made this weekend possible came from Lee Scott-Virtue, Dean Goodgame, Triple J tours, the National Bank, Liz Kirby and Sarah Brett, as well as generous in-kind input from the Kununurra Community in general. The Stop the Toad Foundation was represented by Lisa Brideson and the Foundation also contributed financially towards making this first training exercise the success it was. The Shire of East Kimberley has offered to assist in the ongoing Toad Buster Training exercises with communications systems, general equipment and transport and camping equipment. “We urgently need any relevant permissions, or acknowledgement that we do not need permissions, and support of and facilitation by the NT government for our volunteers led by trained leaders, to enter the NT National Parks and other lands to catch these pests”, requested Dean Goodgame. “The adult frogs from last year about ready to breed in the upcoming wet, can be found and destroyed if we get to them while there is so little water around as these are the only places they can have survived while growing to reproductive age. From government we just need the information where to go and help to mobilise our volunteers, 100s of whom have signed up to help” said Sarah Brett HONOUR BOARD OUR FIRST TRAINING WEEKEND
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