Over the course of the day we spoke to about 160 children (plus accompanying adults) about the unique endangered Numbat and the need to save our State faunal emblem from extinction.

After listening to the talk the children then took part in a radio tracking activity to find a collared ‘Numbat’ hiding in the bush.

It was a very successful day with our newly acquired mascot a great hit. Classes had their photo taken with this giant Numbat and the younger children all wanted to hug it – a fun way of raising awareness of this endangered marsupial.

Thank you to Kings Park for inviting us to this special day.

Hi

My name is Fred and I am 7 years old. When I grow up, I want to be a conservationist and save endangered animals. I also want to be an Australian soccer goal keeper.

For my birthday last week, I had a numbat themed party. My mum made a numbat pinata and the cake was a log for the numbat to live in.

I asked my friends that instead of a present, if they could give me some money because I wanted to donate half to Project Numbat, and buy one toy with the other half. My mum put $77.50 into your account today – this is the money I raised for the numbats.

I hope we can save them. They are very cute.

Here is a photo of the pinata and me.

And here is one of the icecream log. See the little numbat looking for a log?

Love from Fred

Everyone at Project Numbat was so impressed and grateful by what Fred did that we couldn’t help but share his story. We also sent him a gift to say thank you and happy birthday.

Here are a few more photos from the day:

Project Numbat has booked a number of cottages in Dryandra for Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 September 2012 for members to come and experience this wonderful piece of the south-west.

At only two hours from Perth, Dryandra is in the heart of Numbat country.

While we can’t guarantee you’ll see a Numbat, we will be taking a driving survey through Dryandra to try and find these elusive animals, as well as a bush walk and a visit to the Barna Mia compound or group night-time walk on Saturday night to spotlight for other native animals (additional cost for Barna Mia).

Project Numbat hosted a similar weekend in 2009 but this year we have the added benefit of being in Dryandra when Numbat young are emerging from their burrows and it’s also wildflower season. What better time to visit?

Accommodation: There are three cottages with a total of 32 beds. Each cottage has bathroom and toilet facilities, as well as a kitchen and family area. There are also BBQ facilities. More information regarding accommodation can be found at www.dryandravillage.org.au.

Cost: $30 for adults, $15 for children for accommodation. Barna Mia costs $14 per adult and $7.50 for under 16s (only 14 places available).

What to bring: Food and drinks (enough for at least one breakfast, lunch and BBQ dinner), bedding and warm clothes.

Travel time from Perth: Approx. 2 hours from Perth (Dryandra Village is 25 km north of Narrogin). Suggested arrival time is just before noon on Saturday 15 September. Departure on Sunday afternoon.

Bookings: Numbers are limited so book your place now. Email info@numbat.org.au or phone Leanne Kelman on 0421 973 219 to register.

The two signs were installed in June at the Old Mill Dam, a popular starting point for walking trails. The signs include information on what a Numbat looks like, what its yearly activity patterns are, the threats it faces and the work being done to assist its recovery.

Thank you to the Department of Environment and Conservation for designing and installing the signs.

Committee members need to commit to one meeting a month and have access to email. You don’t have to know everything about Numbats, as we’re looking for people who are productive and willing to have a go. Liking Numbats helps though. Contact info@numbat.org.au to find out more.

Numbat with Radio Collar. Photo courtesy of Perth Zoo.

In November and December 2012, DEC will be fitting a number of Numbats with radio-collars. The Numbats will either by wild caught or bred at Perth Zoo for release.

We are giving you the opportunity to be a part of this important work by contributing to the cost of the radio-collars.

Each collar costs $250 and for your contribution you will receive a certificate with a photo of the collared Numbat, its name, date of birth (if known), sex, weight of location.

All contributions are tax-deductible within Australia.

You will receive a letter of thanks and a receipt after we receive payment. Certificates will be sent in January 2013.

If you would like to donate, download the radio-collar form (pdf) and send it in to us.

Last year we raised $4000 which purchased 16 collars. We’re hoping for an even better result this year. You might like to raise money in your school or workplace to fund a collar. We can provide a certificate for individuals or organisations.

Since 2005 the Australasian Society of Zoo Keeping (a.k.a ASZK) have run a ‘Bowling for…’ event to raise funds for the society and make a generous donation to a nominated conservation organisation. Institutes Australasia wide are encouraged to host lawn or ten pin bowling events for this great cause.

Last year Project Numbat’s application was chosen for the 2012 event to assist funding predator control research and raising community awareness for the plight of the Numbat.

The Numbat was once spread across much of southern Australia, but is now found only in remnant habitat patches in the South-west of W.A. Its decline can be attributed to habitat loss and the introduction of feral predators, which is an all too common story. This unique species is the only one of its genus, and population estimates are sadly below 1000 individuals.

As usual, we hit up the South Perth Bowls Club and were lucky enough to get the run of the entire venue! The night kicked off with a complimentary Sausage sizzle, supplies donated generously by Como IGA, before everyone got stuck into warming up their bowling skills. (We only had one lecture about drinking on the green, which I think is a good effort.)

We had some lanes dedicated to those who just wanted to have a bit of fun, and then the rest of the lanes for those who desired to win the prestigious ‘Termite Cup’. (Not a real ‘cup’, for those of you following the story.) As one would probably have guessed, guests who had some idea of the actual rules were the winners (Well done IIsley’s!), each taking home one of our specially made ‘Bowling for’ shirts, and a voucher for a group paint balling session.

Those who didn’t bowl, and simply enjoyed the free snacks and a very reasonably priced bar, also had a chance at taking home a winning with our raffle. All the gifts were again, kindly donated, and the quality so good, we sold every single ticket from the raffle books! Congratulations to Stuart Romero for claiming the top prize and to everyone else who got to choose from the impressive assortment.

We alone raised around $1500 from the night and can’t wait to hear how the numerous other events faired.

The Project Numbat committee can’t thank the following supporters enough for their time, gifts and donations: Como IGA, South Perth Bowls Club, Captain Cook Cruises, Betterlife Health and Wellness Studio, Heard of a Bird, Armadale Reptile Centre, Matt IIsley, Louise Kahler, Janet Reid, Petra Hancock, The Fabric Printer and our friends who came out late on a ‘school’ night and made it what it was!

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The cameras will also be used in our studies of feral predators (particularly cats) at Dryandra which will result in the design of an integrated feral predator control regime.

Feral predators are a serious issue for the Numbats in Dryandra and the use of camera traps is an important part of the work currently being undertaken.

We’ll be putting up photos from the camera traps on our website and Facebook page when they start to come through. The approximately $6500 for the cameras has been funded through donations and fundraising.