On Saturday the 21 August, Karoline Hanks will be running in the PUFFER. Karoline is a Noordhoek resident and a dedicated Toad NUT (Noordhoek’s Unpaid Toad Savers).

As if running the PUFFER, the “not-for-wimps ultra trail run” along the Peninsula Mountains is not enough, Karoline wants to do a personal best time to raise funds for our Leopard Toads. The 80km PUFFER route is from Cape Point Nature Reserve, and takes in Red Hill, the Silvermine Dam, Tokai Forest Plantation, Constantia Nek, Maclear’s Beacon, Platteklip Gorge, Signal Hill and ends at the Ferryman’s Restaurant in the V&A Waterfront.

“2010 is International Year of Biodiversity. In an effort to increase awareness of the spectacular variety of life on our planet, and to raise the profile of a very special threatened species that is right on our doorstep, I want to use the opportunity to raise funds for the magnificent endangered Western Leopard Toads and to help the excellent work of the Noordhoek Unpaid Toad Savers (Toad NUTS). “

SO….

Karoline is asking you to please either contribute R80 (which is R1 per km that she will run) or any amount you wish!  

If she manages to run it in UNDER 8 ½ hours (and if you agree)  - your donation amount doubles.

(FYI – In 2009, the winning lady ran it in 8hrs26 and was 4th overall)…..so the pressure will be ON!

The idea is to raise enough money to build a small pond or wetland far away from busy roads/houses/walls,  in one of the suburbs that needs it, so that these precious amphibians will be able to breed safely at this time of year, every year for many, many years to come.

 Click here to email Karoline Hanks of  Toad NUTS with the following: 

The amount you would like to donate R……………..

Type YES if  you would like to double your amount if Karoline finishes in under 8 ½ hours …………..

Once she has completed the race, we will be in touch with feedback on the run, and those all important banking details!  Thank you so much! Every donation, no matter how small, will help these awesome creatures.

Cheers,

Alison Faraday of   Toad NUTS

PLEASE visit http://toadnuts.com/ to find out more about the NUTS work.

Visit http://www.puffer.fishhoekac.com/index.htm for more on PUFFER J

Toad stats, so far,  for the 2010 season.

We are about half way through the  2010 WLT breeding season.  The statistics  to date  have been revealing . Noordhoek has had 352 toad records, whereas in all the other suburbs on the south peninsula COMBINED we have had 14 toad records. These numbers are far worse than anyone realised.

Suburbs which recorded such shockingly low toad numbers include: Fish Hoek, Sun Valley, Kommetjie, Glencairn and Clovelly.  But we have not given up hope yet as Wally Petersen of Kommetjie  said, “I am still hopeful that something might happen”.  Perhaps the toads in these suburbs are waiting for the August moon.  So please be vigilant especially on rainy nights.

Noordhoek’s success over the past 4 years can be attributed, amongst other things, to the following interventions:

·         New ponds have been built and are now breeding successfully;

·         Road patrols during breeding season;

·         Removal of alien threats such as carp and mallard ducks

·         On-going education of residents and children

·         Assistance during toadlets emergence to get these little guys over the roads and out of swimming pools.