Toads busted at Valentines Falls Estate.

Cane Toads become part of the Federal Election, with Barry Hasse first raising the issue.

KTB win United Nations Association of Australia World Environment Day Awards – Community Award.

Alex Hyman, Kununurra Rural, reported on his first toad bust. This radio report was also broadcasted on the “Country Hour” around Australia .

The KTB Environmental Cane Toad Forum and "what's in your backyard?" Biodiversity program have been recognised on the International Year of Biodiversity Schedule of events.

Media Release 44 “Argyle Underground Project provides donation to help Kimberley Toad Busters perform much needed biodiversity survey in the Kimberley”.

Media Release 46 KTB publish Newsletter no. 30 Kimberley Toadbusters ask
“What’s in YOUR Backyard?”

A partnership between KTB and the Aminbidji Community formed.
KTB members train and the community on how to toad bust. Equipment required is given to the community.
KTB Partnerships as at June 2008 include: KTB Partnerships.

It is important to note that the continually growing KTB campaign has seen an extraordinary number of partnerships fostered with the KTBs. These multiple partnership alliances have improved the KTB toadbusting capacity, and facilitated funding and promotional opportunities, and the establishment of base line data requirements useful for researchers looking for solutions to the cane toad threat to Australia’s ecosystems and biodiversity. These partnerships include:

Educational and scientific
• National Universities throughout Australia: collection, collation of biological and behavioural observations in the field as well as supporting and sponsoring post graduate students working on cane toads and native biodiversity research projects
• International contribution: Support and sponsorship of a postgraduate student from the University In Holland in Delft, looking at parasites in cane toads and local frogs
• Bob Cooper Survival and Bush Skills KTB initiative: Safety training for all Toad Buster leaders in survival and bushcraft skills necessary for safety in the field; and survival and safety skills training. Over 100 Aboriginal and non Aboriginal junior Toad Busters, Aboriginal children at Risk from Wyndham and the Wyndham Prison Camp Aboriginal inmates have so far undertaken the course, which was organised by the KTBs
• East Kimberley College of TAFE KTB initiative: Undertaking training a ranger instruction course and certificate including the identification, trapping and disposal of cane toads; cane toad education and trap making programs. Over 40 Aboriginal students have now been through the course
• CDEP job program KTB initiative: cane toad training of CDEP employed workers including the identification, trapping and disposal of cane toads. There are now 10 Aboriginal Communities now involved in this program.
• Perth Based Friends of the Kimberley Toad Busters for education and cane toad awareness in schools, corporate business and other volunteer organisations and associations in Perth and the south west of WA
• Workbase Kununurra KTB initiative: Native Biodiversity Survey Program instigated in partnership with KTBs as part of the Indigenous training requirement ‘Work for the Dole’.

Indigenous and Community
• Waringarri Aboriginal Corporation KTB initiative: CDEP job program
• Department of Corrective Services KTB initiative: prison inmates involved in trap making and biodiversity surveys.
• Workbase KTB initiative: toad busting as part of self esteem and confidence building.
• Numerous aboriginal community participation with the KTBs both within Western Australia and the Northern Territory including Miniata, Bell Springs and Darlu Darlu communities.
• Vietnam Veteran Teams travelling up from South West WA to toad bust

Government Organisations / Departments
• Department of Environment and Conservation: Close field partnership with close liaison and information sharing; volunteer insurance for toad busters; sharing in skills training, public forums and education, and sponsorship
• Shire of Wyndham – East Kimberley – sponsorship - public forums and education, In-Kind contributions especially vehicle loan for transport to the colonising front.

Businesses and Community
• Argyle Diamonds
• Triple Tours Kununurra: provision of vehicles and fuel for transportation of volunteers and equipment in carrying out Toad Busting Activities
• Kimberley Veterinary Clinic: provision of euthanasia for disposal of cane toads; and instructional education of the public and volunteers
• Kimberley Specialists in Research
• Wilderness Society
• Kimberley Wildlife Rescue
• Kununurra Lions Club: sponsorship and insurance coverage
• Volunteers Australia
• Coles, Kununurra
• Bushcamp Supplies
• Several other Community Business (see website for list).

KTB Newsletter Number 24 published
KTB DVD 2008 released “Cane Toad, Cane Toad”

Vertebrate Pests Conference Cane Toad Forum Darwin
KTBs present 2 papers to post conference cane toad forum:

 KTB Volunteerism
 KTB parasite research in front line cane toads.

WA Minister for Environment the Hon. D. Templeman goes toadbusting with KTBs
Newsletter no 23 and Media Release No 29
BBC documentary crew go toadbusting for BBC series on economic impact of invasive species to be aired next year world wide

WA State government announces a welcome $240,000 direct grant to KTB for recurrent field expenses for one year, bringing the total amount from WA State government to the KTBs to $300,000.
KTBs announce establishment of Cane Toad Research Station on Nicholson Station with the support of Ord River Resources Ltd.
KTB average cost for placing approximately 10 – 90 volunteers each week in areas that span 120,000 sq kms is around $20,000 per month.
KTB Newsletters, and Media releases by Friends of the KTBs (around 30 media releases to date) keep being produced; and updating of www.canetoads.com.au continues regularly, to keep public informed about KTB campaign and results

Wet Season KTB helicopter cane toad reconnaissance undertaken around Bullo River Station
10,000 KTB Educational Brochure, designed and written by KTBs and Friends of the KTBs based in Perth, and sponsored by Nina’s Jewellery, delivered to traveller and tourist outlets between Darwin and Kununurra
Newsletter No 17 published
Cane Toad Quiz Night fund raiser held in Kununurra raises around $4,500
WA State government announces interim support for KTBs at $12,000 a month while DEC/Peacock Review and Report being written
Numerous KTB education displays around Kununurra businesses
Bob Cooper returns to Kununurra to hold bush survival courses for KTB field leaders
Federal government grants $69,000 to buy second hand bus and trailer to transport large teams, including our junior toadbusters to the front
Pearl donated by Nina’s Jewellery Kununurra donated for KTB raffle prize
February 2007 Kimberley Toad Busting has become a way of life for over 30% of Kununurra residents. They are now in their second wet season of toadbusting. For 20 months, the Kununurra based Kimberley Toad Busters have been in the field every weekend and increasingly with teams in the field on weekdays. They have toad busted over 60 sites – up to 450 kms from home - over an area of around 120,000 square kilometres. They have:
• caught 100,721 mature cane toads from the colonising front as at March 2007
• run a field campaign with safety of volunteers as a priority
• sponsored Bob Cooper Bush survival courses for KTB and DEC toad busters
• slowed the movement of the colonising front
• reduced the number of breeding toads at the front
• minimised the impact of the front on local fauna by preserving food resources
• liaised with the NT Parks and Wildlife, and the army for access to lands under their control, for access for toad busting
• continued to educate and involve Northern Territory aboriginal communities and pastoral station managers in and around the colonising front about the complexity of the cane toad front and about cane toad behaviour and how to make a difference
• continued to develop the ongoing cane toad educational program in the Kimberley by setting up cane toad displays, talking at local schools and businesses and entering KTBs into various 2007 environmental and other volunteer awards.
• Continued to liaise closely with the scientists from around Australia conducting research on cane toads
• involved over 30% of the Kununurra community in toad busting including indigenous and non-indigenous men, women and children and anticipate that this number will grow to 50% by the end of February
• involved tourists in toad busting with the proposed release of 10,000 educational brochures encouraging visitors driving from the NT to WA to ‘pick-up’ toads.
• established cane toad trap making, educational and biodiversity survey programs in schools, TAFE and prison camps
• continued to involve indigenous communities in every step of the campaign
• established an indigenous hot line for cane toad finds
• established the support of DEC Kununurra, SWEK, many businesses and the federal government
• established support groups such as the Friends of the Kimberley Toad Busters based in Perth in Broome and Darwin
• Established on-going and new links with other volunteer groups throughout Australia wanting to set up cane toad fighting units
• ongoing bylines published in the Kimberley Echo.
• On-going advertorials and advertisements

The KTBs are ALL VOLUNTEERS and (other than $15,000 provided by CALM at a regional level in 2005 to Kimberley Specialists in Research for maintenance of the community website and field expenses incurred by volunteers traveling to the cane toad front) the KTBs have had no WA State government financial support.
The Federal Government support in June 2006 was
opportune and assisted the community driven Kimberley Toad Busters to grow to the strength they have today.
January 2007 Corrective Services developing Prison Camp Bob Cooper Safety Courses for toad busting. CS keen to get the Biodiversity Survey happening with the prisoners.
2006 KTB Winner of the 2006 Kleenheat Regional Community Year of the Year awards
KTB Winner of the 2006 WA Environment Community of the Year award
KTB Semi finalist in the 2006 WA Landcare Award

Newsletter No 15 publishing all toad busting results on website, by Kimberley Specialists .

Kimberley TAFE Kununurra commenced manufacturing traps for Kimberley Toad Busters.

Kimberley Specialists Kimberley Toad Busters educational training weekend, including busting surveys by boats on Victoria River.

Cane toad busting training and busting weekend at Fitzroy Community and Victoria River Roadhouse.
Stateline coverage organised by Kimberley Specialists.
Timber Creek aboriginal elder, Elaine Watts involved in Fitzroy Community KTB toad busting educational exercise and promises volunteer support for the KTB field campaign.
Big commitments from CDEP and TAFE aboriginal programs.

Kimberley Specialists asked Triple J if they would contribute the ‘enviro/research’ levy towards the cost of the Cane Toad forum.
Kimberley Specialists sought further funding for proposed March Kununurra Cane Toad Forum. Triple J (local business) contributed $8,700 towards the organisational costs of the forum.

Kimberley Specialists in Research approached Triple J to see if they would be interested in putting in place an ‘enviro’ or ‘research’ levy to raise funds to sponsor research in the Kimberley. Triple J agreed to put in place $1 for every passenger carried.
Around this time KSR approached AgWA, CALM, Water and Rivers, SWEK and other government agencies to raise awareness of the impending invasion of cane toads of the East Kimberley. None of these local government agencies appeared to be aware of the cane toad threat, nor was anything being done about the threat. AgWA was then the first Kununurra based agency to then pick up on the cane toad threat. The community KSR cane toad forum was the first coordinated community outcome arising from the KSR agitation about the cane toad threat.