Rodney Stevens
Dust off your sturdy shoes, grab a torch and some gloves and head down to Yamba Golf and Country Club on Friday for some good old fashion fun and education at the annual Yamba Community Toad Bust.
Over its more than 20-year history the Yamba Community Cane Toad Bust has seen thousands of invasive cane toads be humanely euthanised, protecting our valuable native animals and ecosystem.
Organised by Clarence Landcare Inc, the event provides an opportunity for the whole family to get away from the TV for the night and enjoy some fun catching toads, while learning about these destructive pests and the havoc they wreak on the environment.
Matt Morris of Clarence Landcare said participants should bring closed in shoes, a head lamp or a torch, and a pair of sturdy gloves or gardening gloves to collect cane toads.
He said the event will feature education on the species and the devastation they can do to local environments, plus he will dispel a few urban myths about cane toads.
“Participants will be taught how to identify the difference between native frogs and cane toads, and also outline the importance of removing feral species from a habitat,” he said.
Due to the very dry winter experienced across the Clarence Valley, Matt said the cane toad breeding cycle was delayed, with many toads currently breeding.
Last week Matt said Clarence Valley Landcare cane toad control field workers removed 7924 cane toads from the valley, 124 of which were adults and sub-adults, the rest of the toads were tadpoles.
Matt encouraged anyone who see cane toads, their eggs or tadpoles, locally to report their sightings on Toadscan, a free online resource used by landholders, Landcare groups, councils and community groups at https://www.feralscan.org.au/toadscan/
People wanting to participate in the Community Cane Toad Bust are asked to meet at the southern end of the Yamba Golf and Country Club carpark on Friday, December 1, at 7.30pm.
Future Cane Toad Busts will be held at:
Lawrence, December 8.
Ashby, December 15.
Brooms Head, January 3.
Maclean, January 19.
For more information visit the Clarence Landcare Inc Facebook page.