Holding back the Southern Front of the Cane Toad

Clarence Landcare have banded together with other Landcare organisations, NSW Government, contractors and the wider community aiming to slow/ hold the southern front of Cane Toads.

Holding back the Southern Front of the Cane Toad

Clarence Landcare have banded together with other Landcare organisations, NSW Government, contractors and the wider community aiming to slow/ hold the southern front of Cane Toads.

Taking Action -

LLCI033-038

The issue

The southern front of the introduced Cane Toad is currently (2019) within the Clarence Landcare area. The Clarence Valley Conservation in Action (CVCIA) Landcare Group have been working for a number of years with NSW National Parks and Wildlife and Local Lands Services to reduce the local impact of the cane toads on wildlife and to slow the march south. They have been taking on the challenge with a multi-pronged approach including trapping cane toads and their tadpoles, cane toad collection and euthanising, community education, monitoring and data collection.     

The solution

Clarence Landcare obtained a project contract from Office of Environment and Heritage via the Department of Primary Industries to assist the CVCIA Landcare Group and Cane Toad Contractors with their valuable work. The scope of the project was to engage more contractors to maximise cane toad collection, data collection and reporting. This, coupled with increased community education and engagement of local landowners, not only raised awareness about cane toads in the Clarence Valley but also gave access to private properties for cane toad and data collection.

Neighboring Border Ranges Richmond Valley Landcare Network have received a similar scaled down Cane Toad Project and we have been working in conjunction with them, sharing information, resources and landholder contact details in overlapping areas.

The impact

In a six month time frame Clarence Landcare employed on a casual/part time basis eight Cane Toad Collectors, an Education Officer to target local schools and community events, an Operations Coordinator and a Project Manager. We also trained and engaged the local Yaegl Bush Regeneration Team to assist with collection. 

As a result of this project 2,237 mature cane toads were collected, in addition to 3,237 juveniles/sub adults, 31,242 metamorphs and 15,879 tadpoles = 52,595 Cane Toads controlled. Mapping of control areas was also completed.  

Fifty five new landholders came on board as a result of door knocking, letterbox drops, posters and community events.  Displays were held at five community events and five primary schools were attended as part of the Toad Talks series; engaging 1,123 students across the mid-lower Clarence Valley. 

Key facts

  • 3 Yaegl (local Aboriginal) contractors engaged
  • 5 community events
  • 5 schools and 1,123 students engaged
  • 55 new landholders engaged
  • 36,716 cane toads and 15,879 tadpoles = 52,595 Cane Toads in total controlled

Project Partners