News

Wohoo! The first few people have already signed up for our Watergum Backyard BioBlitz - Celebrate Citizen Science Month running from the 1st of April till the 30th of April for the Gold Coast, Logan and Scenic Rim.

Think plants, bugs, butterflies, possums, koalas, stingrays, fish and more! We want to know about it 🦅🦉🦇🐝🦋🐜🦗🕷🦂🐢🐍🦎🐨🐙🐡🐠🐬.

We will just run you through all the steps again:

1) Download iNaturalist app on your phone and create an account
2) Find our project Watergum Backyard Bioblitz
3) Join our project
4) Start recording your backyard sightings on April 1st till April 30th
5) Share this with all your friends, family, neighbours, scouts groups, schools and where ever you can, the more data that comes in the better!
6) Keep us up to date
7) Keep an eye on our facebook as we will have some Citizen Science challenges throughout the month of April and we will share some good resources too!
8) Become the top observer
9) Win a platypus kids book!

Spread the word and SHARE SHARE SHARE! (some pretty pictures to get you in the mood of course!) ... See more

Hi Watergum community! Seeing the current situation, we think this is a great opportunity to move our programs online and help all of you who are isolated at home to maintain your involvement with nature.

The following gives more detail on our status and what we are planning to do: https://mailchi.mp/b9a2989cff1a/watergum-updates

First online activity: Watergum Backyard BioBlitz - Celebrate Citizen Science Month! The whole month of April we will be celebrating all the wonderful flora and fauna in our backyards. The more sightings and recordings through the project on the iNaturalist app, the better! The top observer will win a Platypus kids book! So how can you get involved if you live in the Gold Coast, Logan or the Scenic Rim?

1) Download iNaturalist and create an account
2) Find our project Watergum Backyard Bioblitz
3) Join our project
4) Start recording your backyard sightings on April 1st till April 30th
5) Share this with all your friends, family, neighbours, scouts groups, schools and where ever you can, the more data that comes in the better!
6) Keep us up to date
7) Keep an eye on our facebook as we will have some Citizen Science challenges throughout the month of April
8) Become the top observer
9) Win a platypus kids book

HAPPY BIOBLITZING! ... See more

Hi Watergum Community, Watergum is following COVID 19 safety protocols and cancelling all activities that involve groups of people. We have also closed our offices. However we think this is a great opportunity to move our programs online and help all of you who are isolated at home to maintain your... ... See more

WE NEED YOU! Did you know that you can still contribute to citizen science from your own home?

Do you live next to a creek, river and/or waterway? That is fantastic, you can help us map our local platypus populations on both the Gold Coast and in Logan! (We love scenic rim sightings as well)

How? Well, if you see a platypus, you can report your sighting to Watergum by completing this online form: https://watergum.org/platypus-sighting/

Let us know the location and duration of your sighting, and any interesting behaviour. Perhaps you even have a video or a photo you can send through!

This information is especially important seeing as our platypus have been significantly affected by drought, bushfires and floods in the last 6 months. We would love to know how our local platy friends have coped with these extreme weather events, so please help us as much as you can!

And while you’re at it, don't forget to join our new Watergum PlatypusWatch group to get all the latest Platypus updates!

PLEASE SHARE!

This program is supported by City of Gold Coast and Logan City Council.

PlatypusWatch Network City of Gold Coast Logan City Council platypusSPOT Platypus Conservation Initiative Australian Platypus Conservancy (Official)

#platypus #citizenscience #australia #goldcoast #logan #platypuswatch #platypusnetwork #platypusspot #wildlife #coronavirus ... See more

Unfortunately we have decided together with our friends at Gecko Environment Council that Gold Coast Green Week 2020 is now cancelled.

However, we are back in 2021! More updates at Gold Coast Green Week ... See more

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we have decided to cancel our Gold Coast Green Week 2020 this year. This decision has not been taken lightly, we believe it is in the best interests of our community.

On the positive side...

We welcome you to join our Gold Coast Green Week in 2021 from June 4th till June 13th!

The Gold Coast Green Week Team. ... See more

With potentially a situation like Italy coming to a suburb near you with home quarantine, you may have the time to start growing some edible Australian native plants.

https://www.bhg.com.au/edible-australian-native-plants-you-can-grow-at-home ... See more

Did you know that non-venomous Keelback snakes are not the only Australian species that can tolerate cane toad toxin? Our humble waterbugs have been observed as extremely successful cane toad spawn and tadpole hunters! All the more reason to improve water quality, remove weeds and plant native vegetation in your water-bodies to encourage waterbugs.
More information on this study can be found at the following link - https://rangelandswa.com.au/predators-feast-on-cane-toad-tadpoles/
For more information on cane toads, join our dedicated Watergum - Cane Toad group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/canetoadchallenge/
You can also come along to our Waterbugs sessions to learn about the amazing world of macroinvertebrates once our events are back up and running again. ... See more

Dear Watergum supporter,

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we have decided to postpone all our Watergum events and survey until further notice. This decision has not been taken lightly, we believe it is in the best interests of our community.

Hoping to see you at our future events! ... See more

A massive thanks to the volunteers who came to our March seagrass surveys, we managed to survey both our Wavebreak Island sites despite the weather. We we be back in action in April to visit the rest of our sites, survey dates will be confirmed shortly. Please join the Watergum Seagrass group if you are interested in attending! ... See more

This little fellow is an Ornate Burrowing Frog. This image was sent to us by one of our Cane Toad members who found many of these in his garden after the rain and mistakenly thought he had been overrun with tiny cane toads. Luckily he double checked the ID with us before he took any action. If anyone wants to double check an ID, you can email us at canetoads@watergum.org, or you can join the Watergum Cane Toad Facebook group where cane toad control methods, ID aids and scientific updates will be shared and discussed regularly.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/canetoadchallenge/ ... See more