Kimberley Toad Buster's

News Letters

The aim of this website is to document the Kimberley Toad Busters fight to stop the cane toad crossing into
Western Australia and to provide the Western Australian Community some understanding of the enormous efforts (and contributions) that
can be made by unpaid volunteers!

Previous Newsletter Kimberley Toadbusters home page To News Letter Index Page Next News Letter

The Cane Toad is a Key Threatening Process to the Australian Nation
Declared by the Federal Government 12 April 2005.


KTB Newsletter:57

23/12/2015

This 57th Kimberley Toad Busters’ Newsletter is produced by Kimberley Specialists In Research Inc in conjunction with Kimberley Toad Busters Inc. Kimberley Specialists, a founding member of the Kimberley Toad Busters, continues to support the campaign against the cane toad by supporting www.canetoads.com.au raising funds and supporting cane toad scientific research.

Prepared by Kimberley Toad Busters

KTB is a tax-deductible entity.
To donate click on the following link.

donate

IF EVERYONE WAS A TOADBUSTER, THE TOADS WOULD BE BUSTED!


kimberleytoadsbusters@canetoads.com.au


www.kimberleyspecialists.com.au
kimberleyspecialists@westnet.com.au

 

Content    
Halls Creek youth Joins KTB in Marella
  2
KTB Book Launch
  2
Educational and KTB Book promotion
  3
Cane toad tadpoles versus frog tadpoles
  4


Halls Creek youth Joins KTB in Marella

A group of 4 girls from Halls creek organized by the youth centre joined KTB’s animal scientist Jordy Groffen in Marella gorge. They stayed for two days to help out with the trapping of the animals and joined with the transact walks.


Jordy Groffen stated; “It was great to see the interest in the wildlife. The girls were not so keen on checking the traps when there were spiders or centipedes in them. But they loved the frogs and little skinks”. They also had a first-hand experience with the devastation and impact the invasive cane toads can have on the native wildlife after we found two dead freshwater crocodiles. Subsequent stomach contents analysis (all involving the students) unfortunately were unable to confirm the conclusion that cane toads were responsible for their deaths.

The President and Founder of KTB Lee Scott- Virtue stated; “Going out on biodiversity surveys with scientists like Jordy Groffen, helps our young people, indigenous and non- indigenous, to become more familiar with the wildlife and to learn about impacts introduced feral animals such as the cane toad, can do to native wildlife. They also learn why community efforts make a difference, why it is important to toad bust and how to differentiate between a cane toad and a native frog.

These field experiences are important and our government should be more focussed on the valuable education experience young people have when they have the opportunity to experience field trips with Animal scientists such as Jordy Groffen. These experiences are unique”.

The Halls Creek Youth Centre personal has stated they will start weekly toad busts around Halls creek in the New Year as one of their activities to educate other community members. They have advocated they will do their best to reduce cane toad numbers by attacking all life cycles of the cane toad to help the wildlife to adapt to the cane toad invasion.

Figure 1. Checking funnel traps for small animals.
Figure 2. The girls having a well-deserved swim after one of the transact walks

KTB Book Launch

The Kimberley Toad Busters hard copy book “10 Years of community efforts in fighting an Alien Invasion” was launched on the 4th of December. Josie Farrer gave a superb opening welcome to the Kimberley Toad Busters at the book launch in the Kununurra Library.

It was a great evening and people who had contributed to the book gave a short talk on their involvement with many humorous anecdotes. Montana Ahwon, one of our youngest and longest toad busters, an environmental award winner and Junior Toad Buster leader extraordinaire, provided a delightful insight into how it felt to go toad busting as a youngster, and the responsibility of being a toad buster leader and environmental award winner. It was a timely reminder of how much toad busting does mean to young indigenous youth.

Kimberley icons such author Norma Wainwright and Ian Petherick provided a brief insight into forthcoming local publications for 2016. KTB wish to thank the Kununurra Library staff for their help on the evening and to Joanne Roach for controlling and acting in the role of hostess for the night.

The KTB book will be available in more than 10 shops throughout the Kimberley in the New Year.

Figure 3. Josie Farrer opening the KTB book launch in the Kununurra High school library

Educational and KTB Book promotion

Jordy Groffen travelled throughout the West Kimberley to drop of information brochures and folders, spread the word about cane toads, and to give educational cane toad presentations as well as to promote the KTB book.

Jordy stated; “It was a great trip and it is good to see that a lot of people are worried about cane toads and want to learn what they can do before toads arrived and also once toads do arrive”. A big part of the educational presentation Jordy gave in Broome and Halls creek was about educating people on the differences between native frogs and cane toads. Critical also in the KTB education program presented by Jordy Groffen was helping people to recognise what impact cane toads will have on native wildlife, their direct and indirect impacts on known species as well as the lesser known impacts on smaller vertebrates, invertebrates and food supplies. Jordy went on to say. “People seemed to enjoy the presentations; the KTB book was well received. Communities that were still cane toad free said they want to do all that they can to mitigate the cane toads impact once the toad arrives. Community efforts in keeping numbers of toads from breeding into large numbers are critical in mitigating cane toad impacts on native wildlife”.

Jordy also managed to visit the Tablelands Community and dropped cane toad metamorphs collected by KTB to Mornington research station (500 frozen toads had been delivered by KTB earlier). The metamorphs will also be used for the taste aversion experiments being conducted by Mornington researchers.

Figure 4. They are on their way to Broome

Cane toad tadpoles versus frog tadpoles

To effectively do anything about all breeding cycles of the cane toad it is important to know the difference between frogs and cane toads in every life cycle. In this newsletter we will show you the differences between native tadpoles and cane toad tadpoles. Tadpoles of various different native frogs do differ from each other, but in general the main characteristic described below in the tadpole of the giant frog are relatively similar in all native species.

Collecting cane toad tadpoles is critical in keeping cane toad numbers reduced. Once you are certain they are cane toad tadpoles, you can easily scoop them up with a net. They often cluster together in big groups and this makes it easier to catch many tadpoles in a short amount of time. You can put them in the freezer or throw them up onto the bank. Put them into the sun so they die quickly then cover them with soil to stop the native wildlife from eating them. If meat ants get to them before you have a chance to cover them up they can eat them without any ill effect.

Don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter! 7

Kimberley Toad Busters awards!

For more information on any of the articles contact:
Lee Scott-Virtue: KTB Founder & President 08 9168 7080 kimberleytoadbusters@canetoads.com.au

All donations are tax deductible.

donate

For further information contact

Lee Scott-Virtue: 08 91687080

If everyone became a toad buster.
The toads would be busted!

Links to some of our Educational sites and DVD’s.

1. www.canetoads.com.au

2. Kimberley toad busters Facebook pages:

https://www.facebook.com/KimberleyToadBusters

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kimberley-Toad-Busters-KTB/113247412075404?ref=hl

3.Kimberley Toad Busters going on a toad bust:

4.View the research documentary of the Kimberley Toad Busters (KTB):

5. View Dana Lyons "Cane toad muster" song composed for the Kimberley Toad Busters:

6. View Interview with Boonya Indigenous Elder from Derby:

7. View Interview with Kevin and William Indigenous Elders from Derby:

8. View Interview with JuJu Indigenous Elder from Kununurra:

9. View KTB Chronological history from 2004 - 2013-11-02