Record number of toads caught at WetlandCare Australia’s 14th annual Cane Toad Muster at Yamba Golf Course
This year WetlandCare Australia, the leading national not for profit wetland conservation organisation, took on the challenge of hosting the 2012 Cane Toad Muster at the Yamba Golf Club. The evening was a great success, with enthusiastic volunteers attending from the local area and from as far away as the Blue Mountains. Volunteers from Clarence Valley Conservation in Action, and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, provided invaluable assistance with weighing, counting, and euthansing the toads. Representatives from local and regional government bodies also lent a helping hand.
Numbers were up on previous years, with 2521 cane toads caught this year compared to 2207 and 1500 in 2010 and 2011 respectively. There were 270 people attending this year compared to the 186 volunteers last year. This spectacular effort has helped to reduce the number of cane toads in this area, which will ultimately help to protect local native fauna and lower the risk of cane toads travelling further south.
On the night there were prizes awarded for the heaviest toad, the largest number of toads caught and also a lucky door prize. The “Tacks Taddies” group won a holiday voucher at the Golden Chain Yamba Motor Inn for collecting the heaviest toad which weighed 277 grams. The “Newport Islanders’ group won 2 nights in a family suite at the Ramada Hotel & Suites Ballina Bryon for catching 130 cane toads, the greatest number caught on the night. Tim Hannah won the lucky door prize, a fifty dollar voucher for the Bistro at the Yamba Golf and Country Club and a stuffed toy frog. “We were extremely fortunate to have had such strong support from local businesses who donated prizes and other contributions” said Nicci Carter, WetlandCare Australia’s General Manager. “The local Golden Chain motel – The Yamba Motor Inn, put us up for the night and we had a great night’s sleep after the evening finished!”
Cane toads pose a significant threat to native fauna and domestic animals. WetlandCare Australia has been helping increase community awareness of cane toads and their threats in areas where toads have not yet reached. At the present time cane toads have not extended past the upper parts of the Clarence Valley Region. Holding annual events such as the Yamba Cane Toad Muster especially in areas at the edge of the current cane toad distribution will help encourage and assist the community to reduce cane toad numbers and stop them from moving further south.
WetlandCare Australia would like to thank the following generous organisations: the Clarence Valley Council (CVC), National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Department of Primary Industries (DPI), Clarence Valley Conservation in Action (CVCIA) and Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority (NRCMA) who all assisted with the running of the event. The Ramada Hotel & Suites Ballina Byron and the Golden Chain Yamba Motor Inn both provided family weekend accommodation prizes for the most toads and the largest toad, respectively. The Yamba Golf and Country Club provided a ‘dinner for two’ as a lucky door prize and hosted this year’s event. Spectrum Signs, Kitchen to Table and the Yamba Bread Shop provided local services and products.
If you would like more information on cane toads you can contact WetlandCare Australia on 02 66816169 or download the cane toad factsheet at www.wetlandcare.com.au.
With thanks to the Round-Up supporters:
For more information, contact:
Kylie Van Der Kolk
M. 04 3172 0636
OR
Nicci Carter
T. (02) 6681 6169
M. 04 1233 4686
PHOTO: Cane Toad (Sharon Lehman, Clarence Valley Conservation in Action)
PHOTO: Clarence Valley Conservation in Action volunteer (Sharon Lehman, Clarence Valley Conservation in Action)