News
Combatting Cane Toads on K’gari
Introduced to Australia in 1935, cane toads (Rhinella marina) were first reported on K’gari in the 1960’s with their appearance coinciding with a dramatic reduction in the island’s snake populations, particularly death adders.
(more…)Building Stewardship for K’gari through Citizen Science
The Australian Citizen Science Association defines citizen science as ‘public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge.’
(more…)Sea Cucumber Research Update
As we wrote in the last newsletter, PhD student Alison Hammond from the University of the Sunshine Coast is currently undertaking a research project on the sea cucumber (bêche-de-mer) fishery in Hervey Bay, the Great Sandy Strait and Tin Can Bay in the 1980s and 1990s. Project results will be used to map the historical and current distribution of sea cucumbers.
(more…)Getting Techy With IT
Are you BioBlitz curious, but worried about all the technical skills that go with IT? That’s Information Technology, and apologies for the geeky joke!
(more…)K’gari Conference 2025
The University of the Sunshine Coast’s 2025 conference celebrated the theme Voices of K’gari: Research, Respect and Responsibility, bringing together K’gari’s Traditional Owners, the Butchulla people, leading researchers, conservationists and artists who together explored the cultural, ecological and geological stories of K’gari and the surrounding Great Sandy region.
(more…)BAC Welcomes Butchulla K’gari Djaa Rangers
The Butchulla first lore is ‘What is good for the land must come first.’ K’gari’s and the Butchulla People’s health are deeply connected. When K’gari is unwell, then her people are unwell too.
(more…)Will killing dingoes on K’gari make it safer? We think it’s unlikely.
After the tragic death of Canadian backpacker Piper James on K’gari (Fraser Island) on January 19, a coroner found the 19–year–old had been bitten by dingoes while she was still alive, but the most likely cause of death was drowning. Days later, the Queensland government announced it would cull the entire pack of ten dingoes seen near where Piper’s body was found. Most of those animals have now been killed.
(more…)Dingoes are not domestic dogs
For decades, scientists, policymakers, graziers and land managers have been locked in a surprisingly high stakes debate over what defines a dingo. Are these wild canids their own species? Or are they simply feral dogs?
(more…)K’gari Tops the Island Charts for Frog and Freshwater Fish Biodiversity
Researchers have completed the first comprehensive database of freshwater species on Australian islands. The results of the research have been published in Diversity and Distributions journal.
(more…)Effective & Collaborative Fire Management on K’gari
Collaborative fire management is important to ensure planned burn program objectives are met for the island.
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