Author: Andrew Tilley – Bachelor of Environmental Science and Management (Honours) The ecosystems present on Norfolk Island evolved under unique conditions. The island is geographically isolated, and while it is an Australian territory, it is located closest to New Caledonia (767 km to the north) and is part of the mostly submerged Zealandia continental mass. This has enabled the speciation of endemic flora and fauna. Living under the shadow of the towering Norfolk Pine, iconic fauna such as the Norfolk Island green parrot, Morepork owl, and Norfolk robin evolved in this insular ecosystem, naïve to predation by mammals. Norfolk Island National Park protects 460 hectares of the habitat of these species on the island. The Polynesian rat was introduced by early Polynesian visitors, followed by the introduction of the black rat, house mouse and domestic cat by European settlers. These phases of introduction have led to the explosive proliferation of invasive species populations throughout the entire island, including the national park. These invaders have decimated fauna populations and have led to the extinction of three endemic bird species and four subspecies, three endemic snail species and the local extinction of two reptile species. In the national park, rodent species have been a focus of management by the Parks Australia team due to their high populations and rapid reproduction rates continually posing an existential threat to birds and their nests in the national park as well as invertebrate and flora species. Baiting and other lethal controls occur intensively across the park but largely limit rodent populations rather than drive a net reduction in their population. Baiting occurs on a monthly rotational basis within six sectors or ‘baiting catchments’.  While populations of feral cats are known to prey on native bird species, their role in limiting rodent populations on Norfolk Island is less understood. By modelling the spatial ecology of feral cats in the national park, we may be able to understand how feral cats respond to changes in the distribution of the rodent population in response to periods of baiting and significant seasonal variations in rainfall. Such information may inform the management of invasive rodents as well as the feral cats themselves. My honours project aims to utilise a gridded array of 51 camera traps, deployed since July 2024 across the national park to model the occupancies of rodents and cats and population density of feral cats in the national park. I am aiming to produce models for each month of the camera trap deployment to examine the impact of monthly baiting rotations and seasonal rainfall variations. By comparing the occupancies of rodents and cats in the national park, I may be able to develop an understanding of the interspecific dependence of feral cats on rodents, providing an insight into the nature of the predator-prey relationship in the national park. Additionally, the development of an accurate population density model is likely to contribute toward a more detailed understanding of the spatial ecology of feral cats in the park, which may inform their effective management.  My results may require the consideration of the top-down or bottom-up population control factors in future invasive species management measures. Additionally, an accurate population density model may inform the targeted management of feral cats in Norfolk Island National Park. I have just concluded my field trip to Norfolk Island to collect all 51 camera traps. All images have been downloaded and backed up, and I am utilising the artificial intelligence model integrated within Wildlife Insights ( www.wildlifeinsights.org ), developed by World Wildlife Fund and Google to assist in the identification of species and in filtering out blank photos. During this process, I have sighted several photos of cats preying on rats and have produced rare photographic evidence of feral cats preying on seabirds on Norfolk Island. In these images, a white tern and a black-winged petrel have very clearly been predated on by a feral cat. The camera trap which captured these images was located to the north of the island, where there is relatively high seabird activity. These images reinforce the need for the effective management of feral cats in the national park, to protect the seabird populations on the island, but also for the responsible ownership of cats as pets, as domesticated free-roaming cats can also endanger native bird species. The unique ecosystems on Norfolk Island are incredibly important breeding grounds for seabirds in the Pacific. It is therefore troubling to find evidence of their predation by feral cats. These images reinforce the necessity for developing a greater understanding of the population dynamics of rodents and feral cats in Norfolk Island National Park so that the unique flora and fauna that remains can continue to exist on Norfolk Island.   This project was funded by the Commonwealth government through the National Environmental Science Program’s Resilient Landscapes Hub.

Matt Hayward My favourite conservation science-related song is a version of a Cold Play song that emphasises we should base our conservation decisions on evidence rather than what supports our preconceived ideas or feelings. This was brought to my attention having faced vitriol from eminent scientists during the debate about the quality of evidence associated with claims that dingoes control foxes and cats 1,2 . Viva La Evidence - James McCormack Jacob Jones My favourite conservation songs are Let the Franklin Flow  by Goanna, and Kimberley  by John Butler. These songs represent my two favourite things: nature and acoustic guitars. I have always had a love for songs that focus on storytelling and do believe that music has the power to change social perceptions and draw attention to import issues like the conservation of Australia’s nature in all its unique beauty. I present no empirical evidence of my belief that music has a role to play in conservation, other than a really strong hunch. Let the Franklin Flow - Goanna Kimberley - John Butler   Michelle Hession When I was about ten years old the Counting Crows’ version of Big Yellow Taxi was released (originally recorded by Joni Mitchell in the 1970’s) and I remember looking around at my neighbourhood and realising for the first time that it was all once bushlands. That beautiful forests like those we hiked in on the weekends had been cleared so I could have a house, a yard, a school and shops. They were simple lyrics, but they hit the young version of me hard and likely contributed to my interest in sustainable development and conservation. Big Yellow Taxi - Counting Crows Finella Dawlings My favourite conservation related songs are Yurala  by a group called Spinifex Gum, and Come Along  by Cosmo Sheldrake. They represent two of my greatest passions – protecting nature fiercely, and appreciating the joy and relief nature can bring us in our capitalistic society. This kind of music provides me an outlet for all the feelings that loving nature evokes in me in today’s world – awe, joy, curiosity, as well as sadness, grief and anger. Yurala - Spinifex Gum   Come Along - Cosmo Sheldrake Alex Callen We learn so slowly ( Saltwater , Julian Lennon, 1991 ), we are so enamoured with the shiny, and environment only seems to win when it is sexy or cool. We drop it when it is an inconvenience to us ( Brazil , Declan McKenna, 2014 ), and greenwash nearly everything ( Greenwash , MDC, 1993 ). Just like Compassionate Conservation 3 . Saltwater - Julian Lennon Brazil - Declan McKenna Greenwash - MDC References 1            Hayward, M. W. & Marlow, N. J. Will dingoes really conserve wildlife and can our methods tell? J. Appl. Ecol.   51 , 835-838 (2014). 2            Hayward, M. W.  et al. Ecologists need to use robust survey design, sampling and analysis methods. J. Appl. Ecol.   52 , 286-290 (2015). 3            Callen, A., Hayward, M. W., Klop-Toker, K., Allen, B. L., Ballard, G., Beranek, C. T., ... & Wüster, W. Envisioning the future with ‘compassionate conservation’: An ominous projection for native wildlife and biodiversity. Biological conservation , 241,  108365 (2020).

Author: Sailendra Raj Giri Dashain: A Tapestry of Memories and Meaning Even 12,000 kilometres away from home, the sounds of my childhood linger in my ears—the jubilant cries of changa chait as kites soared into the sky, the rhythmic clatter of dice rolling inside a mug, and the ecstatic cha cha huiieee of children on the towering Linge Ping, a swing mounted on four sturdy bamboo poles. The divine sound of the shankha and ghanta, the aromatic scent of Gokul dhup (incense), marigolds in full bloom, and golden paddy fields swaying in the breeze—all seem to whisper the spirit of Vijaya Dashami, or Bada Dashain. And the Malashree Dhun, a melody inseparable from the festival itself, lingers in my heart, weaving nostalgia and joy into one vivid tapestry. Dashain is more than a festival; it is an emotion, a bridge between past and present, a celebration of family, friendship, and community. It rejuvenates the spirit, strengthens bonds, and inspires one to be better, to grow, and to cherish every shared moment. My Father Blessing me with Tika and Jamara during last years Dashain The Triumph of Good Over Evil The festival is rooted in the eternal story of courage and justice. Mahishasura, a demon empowered by the boon of invincibility, terrorized the cosmos, confident that no man, God, or animal could defeat him—except for women, whom he underestimated. In response, the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwor pooled their divine energies to create Goddess Durga, a ten-armed warrior riding a lion, blazing with courage and strength. For nine nights, Goddess Durga battled Mahishasura, adapting as the demon changed forms, until on the tenth day, she triumphed. This victory symbolizes not only the ultimate triumph of good over evil but also the power, wisdom, and strength of women—a lesson etched into every ritual and celebration of Dashain. Rituals, Culture, and Joy Dashain unfolds over fifteen days, beginning with Ghatasthapana, when barley seeds are sown in the Jamara Ghar, sacred vessels are placed, and mantras chanted to invite the goddess. The first nine days, also called Navaratri, are celebrated by worshiping the nine forms of Durga—Shaila Putri, symbol of strength and purity; Brahmacharini – representing wisdom and spiritual knowledge; Chandraghanta – bravery and grace; Kushmanda – the synonym of energy and vitality; Skandamata, embodying courage and righteousness; Katyayani – the one who offers blessings for harmony and peace in life; Kalaratri – the one who protects from evil and grants inner strength; Mahagauri – symbol of new beginnings; and Siddhidatri – the ultimate form of Goddess Durga, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, in succession. The Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Days are the most celebrated and special days. Devotees visit the various Shakti Piths—Goddess Durga temples—and pray for themselves and their family’s wellbeing, peace, strength, and courage. The 7th day is Phulpati, which is celebrated by offering flowers and various plants to Nava Durga in the Jamara Ghar. The 8th and 9th days – Mahastami and Mahanawani – are marked by offering sacrifices to Durga. During these days, people also worship their tools and vehicles. These are the days that include worshipping, family time, fun, and joy. In terms of food, Dashain is much more about meat; a variety of meat delicacies are prepared and enjoyed. On the 10th Day, called Vijaya Dashami, the eldest family member offers the Tika (rice grains mixed with red powder (Abir) and curd) and Jamara as blessings of Goddess Durga. After this, many people visit their elderly relatives to receive the Tika and Jamara as blessings. The festival is marked by unity, eternal bonds, and memories. Jamara and Devi Puja Unity in Diversity Across Nepal, Dashain takes many forms. As Nepal is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-linguistic country, the way Dashain is celebrated might change slightly among different communities. The Newars celebrate with elaborate Devi Puja rituals, while Tharus and other indigenous communities weave in local music, dance, and games. Yet, despite these variations, Dashain unites the nation, fostering reconciliation, sharing, and social cohesion. It is a festival of connection, reminding us that community, kindness, and respect are at the heart of Nepali life. Dashain Beyond Borders Globalization and migration have transformed Dashain for the Nepali diaspora. Families abroad recreate the festival, adapting rituals to new environments. Some travel across continents to celebrate together; others use technology to share blessings and prasad virtually. Even far from home, the spirit of togetherness, devotion, and cultural identity remains unbroken, proving that Dashain is not confined to geography—it lives in hearts and traditions wherever Nepalis are. A Call for Courage and Peace In challenging times, such as this year, which saw a people’s uprising turning into violent protest and unrest, several lost their lives and property worth billions damaged. May this Dashain remind all Nepalis of Durga’s teachings: courage, wisdom, and the triumph of good over evil. May the Goddess Durga bestow her grace on every Nepali to strengthen relationships, uphold justice, and nurture peace. Through unity, respect, and resilience, we honour the festival’s deepest message: to live with strength, compassion, and integrity, ensuring that the light of Dashain shines even in the darkest times. Happy Dashain 2080 Bikram Sambat! Flying a Kite during Dashain

Author: Yamil Di Blanco I recently had the unique opportunity to spend a full month living and working at the Mount Zero-Taravale Wildlife Sanctuary, of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), located in the remote and mountainous regions of northeastern Australia. My time at the sanctuary was part of a broader international collaboration focused on the conservation of threatened species, and in this particular case, involved fieldwork with two key species: the endangered Sharman’s Rock Wallaby ( Petrogale sharmani ) and the Northern Bettong (Bettongia tropica ). View of Mount Zero-Taravale Sanctuary 1. Monitoring Sharman’s Rock Wallaby I assisted in retrieving camera traps that had been deployed more than a month earlier to monitor the activity and presence of wallabies in remote parts of the sanctuary. We also collected scat samples (feces) for future genetic analysis, which will provide essential data on population structure, genetic health, and connectivity among fragmented groups. I also assisted in processing the camera-trap photographs using the software Timelapse (Version 2.3.3.3), identifying species and tagging photos. Camera-trap used for the monitoring of Sharman's Rock Wallabies Belt container in front of camera-trap used for monitoring Sharman's Rock Wallabies Scat survey of Sharman's Rock Wallabies One of the most memorable aspects of this experience was the extreme remoteness of the survey areas. The habitat of the Sharman’s Rock Wallaby is so inaccessible that we had to be transported by helicopter, followed by long and strenuous hikes through rugged, rocky terrain. Each day brought both physical challenges and deep rewards, offering us the chance to observe unique ecosystems and species that few people ever get to see. A particularly special moment was being able to spot and photograph an individual Sharman’s Rock Wallaby in the wild—an incredible privilege, given how elusive and threatened this species is.   Posing Sharman's Rock Wallaby, taken during the survey 2. Pitfall Trap Maintenance for Herpetofauna Monitoring I collaborated in inspecting the network of pitfall traps installed across the property for future reptile and amphibian surveys. Although these traps are currently inactive, they are scheduled to be reactivated in the near future. Our task involved reviewing their condition, ensuring they remain functional and safe for upcoming monitoring efforts. This preparatory work is essential for maintaining effective sampling infrastructure and supporting long-term biodiversity assessments.  Pitfall trap installed for future reptile and amphibian surveys 3. Bettong Enclosure Maintenance and Monitoring: I participated   in repairing parts of the predator-proof fence, which had been damaged during the most recent flooding event. Maintaining the integrity of this fence is critical to ensuring the safety of reintroduced populations from invasive predators like cats and foxes. We also conducted recovery of traps previously installed inside the enclosure to monitor bettong movements and overall health. These traps are a vital part of the monitoring program, allowing to track individual animals and evaluate the success of reintroduction efforts.  Fencing repairs Bettong traps recovered from the field I am deeply grateful to the entire team at the AWC for welcoming me and generously sharing their expertise, infrastructure, and passion for wildlife conservation. I also thanks CONICET and the School of Environmental and Life Sciences of the University of Newcastle for making this exchange possible. I am especially grateful to “Flick” L’Hotellier, “Macca” McAllister, and their daughters Billie and Brim, who made me feel truly welcome in this corner of the world.

By Michael Mahony Figure 9. Images in life of Amnihyla This document presents a comprehensive phylogenetic revision of the Pelodryadidae family of Australo-Papuan hyloid frogs, addressing the historical instability and contentiousness of their generic classification. Using extensive mitochondrial and phylogenomic DNA datasets, alongside morphological, acoustic, and life history data, the authors established a well-resolved phylogeny for the family. This robust framework allowed for the reclassification of the 233 species from three genera into 35 distinct genera, resolving the long-standing issue of the paraphyletic genus Litoria and reinstating the distinct generic status of Cyclorana and Nyctimystes. The new classification provides a stable and functionally valuable taxonomy for a wide range of scientific and conservation applications. Listen to the summary of the paper below: https://public.3.basecamp.com/p/A4ZQWfeh79PGZfrTNwZT8BvX Or read the paper for yourself:

Author: Kaya Klop-Toker Recent rains and cold winter temperatures were the likely catalyst for successful breeding in the Centre for Conservation Science’s Littlejohn’s tree frog captive colony last week. The colony, which has been housed at UoN since 2022, were moved to outdoor tanks for the first time this winter. Shortly after, two pairs of endangered Littlejohn’s tree frogs produced large, healthy-looking clutches of successfully fertilised eggs. This is the first time that the colony has breed since 2022, and only the second time this species has ever been bred in captivity. This captive breeding colony not only aims to produce animals to be released into the wild but also seeks to restore genetic diversity to inbreed wild populations. Furthermore, systematically pairing frogs from different populations for breeding, will allow the research team to test which crosses produce the healthiest offspring. As inbreeding can have negative health impacts and lead to poor reproductive fitness, restoring genetic diversity through a process called “genetic rescue” is a critical step in improving the health and stability of wild populations. There is still a lot of work to be done, but for now, the team is excited to introduce dozens of new eggs and tiny tadpoles to the world! Amplecting pair of Littlejohn's tree frog New eggs!

Matt was recently hosted my Mark Kyle on his TheFurRealPodcast where he talked about quokkas as the happiest animal in the world and a range of other conservation issues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obV6S6heiRE

Litoria littlejohni (Littlejohn's tree frog - LLJ) is listed as Endangered with extinction on the IUCN Red List. The Centre for Conservation Science has been researching this species for six years and recently got the chance to apply some of our research knowledge to help improve the plight of the frog. We knew that LLJ used man-made ponds at some sites. We also knew that they didn't like water bodies with introduced fish in them. So, we worked with a range of partners (in this case Forest Corporation around the Watagans) to create artificial ponds along drainage lines. Forest Corporation dug in a heap of ponds three months ago. Last night, a team of us went back to survey how successful they'd been. We were staggered! The great majority of new ponds had LLJ tadpoles in them, most had LLJ calling nearby, and several had LLJ adults within them. This is a staggering success for so early in the program. It really illustrates the value in well funded conservation research, and then working with key stakeholders to implement the applied outcomes of the work. If only this was happening to more threatened species. Alex, Zoe and Asher observe LLJ in a newly constructed pond. Alex shows an Endangered Litoria littlejohni! The team planning our monitoring activities: Asher, Alex, Ethan, Rose, Clemente, Lily and Zoe. Striped marsh frog have colonised the ponds very quickly too! It's always important to keep an eye open for other species using the ponds! The team in front of one of the signs designed by a University of Newcastle Natural History Illustration course graduate - Rose, Zoe, Ethan, Alex, Asher, Lily and Clemente. Zoe assessing pond depth and searching for tadpoles.

Updates from Michael Mahony Photo of newly described species by Stephen Mahony The common mantra for persistence in the face of climate change is the need for all living beings to adapt or perish. If it is not possible to adapt, then mitigating the impacts of climate will be necessary to prevent extinction. Humans can mitigate the impacts of warming by building better insulated homes and using air-conditioners or by shifting to more favourable climate zones. Mitigating the impact is not something that all living organisms can do, especially shifting their home! Shifting to areas of cooler climate may be a possibility for some biota but not for all, especially those that persist in isolated habitats. A big question among scientist is whether biota can adapt to the rapid changes in their environment brought about by human associated climate change since there is often no way it will be possible for humans to assist and mitigate the huge scale of the impact of climate change for all ecosystems and species. There is considerable debate among scientists about whether some or all biota have capacity and time to adapt to the rapid pace of climate change, and how to deal with the extensive mitigation that will be needed. A newly published study by a team from the University of Newcastle, South Australian Museum and James Cook University shows that two newly discovered small tree frogs have not adapted to slow paced climate change as the Australian continent warmed and dried over millennia. Today these frogs only persist in isolated, cool and moist upland environments. One of the new species The Eungella Whirring Frog occurs only above 900 metres elevation in cool montane temperate forest on the crest of Eungella Range in mid-east Queensland. Its total known distribution is less that a 20 square kilometre, and it is separated from its nearest relative the Atherton Whirring Frog by several hundred kilometres. There is no possible way that either of these frogs can shift to cooler habitats further south. They are isolated on high mountains where the climate models predict increasing temperatures and drier summers. They are literally running out of suitable living space. Understanding the factors that have created the amazing diversity of Australia’s biota is a fundamental goal of evolutionary biologists and is also critical to addressing how we manage their survival as the threat of climate change and other human impacts grow. In a study just published in the international journal Zootaxa, scientists from the University of Newcastle, the South Australian Museum, and James Cook University collaborated to find that the Whirring Tree Frogs from eastern Queensland and north-eastern NSW comprises three species Litoria revelata from the eastern fall of the Great Dividing Range in NSW and south-eastern Queensland, L. corbeni from the Atherton Tablelands, and the newly discovered L. eungellensis from the Eungella Range, near Mackay. The ranges of three species are separated by significant gaps of some 400 to 800 km of unsuitable habitat. The two north Queensland species occur only above 900 m elevation. Not much longer than a ten-cent coin but a bright mustard yellowish colour with bright red patches hidden behind the legs, the Whirring Tree Frogs are similar in appearance and differ subtly in their mating calls. Despite the similarity in appearance, their genetic analyses showed that the three species have been separate evolutionary lineages for at least 1.5 million years. Luke Price the senior author of the study (University of Newcastle and South Australian Museum) observed that the unusual distribution and genetic divergence between the species “ provides important information about Australia’s climate in the past and how that has moulded the current distribution of the frog ”. He postulated that because the Whirring Tree Frog occurs only in wet forest habitats “ it must once have occupied wet forest habitats that were interconnected along the Great Dividing Range from north-eastern NSW to the Atherton Tablelands at a time of cooler and moister climate than we experience at present. We are not talking about Climate warming associated with human impacts and the greenhouse effect, but much older changes associated with movement of the continents and global weather circulation .” Unfortunately, the conservation status of the two northern species is challenging. The newly recognised species at Eungella has a total distribution of less than 15 square kilometres, earning it an unenvious place among the top ten Australian Frogs with the smallest natural range. Unenvious because narrow range is commonly associated with a high threat of extinction. Luke said, “ one natural disaster such as a wildfire could wipe out a species found in a small area, or one pollution event could mean the end of a species ” Furthermore “ the observation that the species is restricted to an isolated patch of high elevation cool rainforest habitat suggests that it is already living at its biological limits, and with climate warming the species has nowhere to expand or migrate ”. A similar situation occurs for the Atherton species, but it has a slightly larger distribution. Because of their narrow range and distribution that is restricted to high elevation, with identifiable threats (climate change warming) to their long-term persistence, the northern two species are assessed as meeting the criteria for “ critically endangered ” under the threat assessment process of International Union for Conservation of Nature. Fortunately, the scenario for the NSW species is that there is no evidence of threats causing a decline in range or abundance. Although Luke observed that this may be more because " there is no formal surveillance for this species and his assessment that it is not threatened is based on observations from interested biologists and community scientists only ”. For more details on the paper, feel free to contact the author below: Contact: Michael Mahony Phone: 0429636152 email: Michael.mahony@newcastle.edu.au See the abstract for the paper below: Zootaxa 5584 (3): 301–338    https:// www.mapress.com/zt/  Copyright © 2025 Magnolia Press Article https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5584.3.1 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition)  ZOOTAXA ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition)                                                                                                                      http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C07BE8E9-713C-42E5-9D3F-5F6166C44C5A   Systematic evaluation of molecular genetic, morphological and acoustic variation reveals three species in the Litoria revelata complex (Anura: Pelodryadidae) LUKE C. PRICE1, CONRAD J. HOSKIN2, MICHAEL J. MAHONY3 & STEPHEN C. DONNELLAN4,5* 1School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, 5005 Australia �  luke.price@sa.gov.au;    https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7451-8753 2College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, 4811Australia �  conrad.hoskin@jcu.edu.au;    https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8116-6085 3School of Environmental and Life Sciences, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, 2308, Australia �  michael.mahony@newcastle.edu.au;    https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1042-0848 4South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5000, Australia 5Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, 1 William St, Sydney 2010, Australia *Corresponding author: �  steve.donnellan.museum@gmail.com;    https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5448-3226   Abstract We used a combination of nuclear and mitochondrial genetic data, body measurements and colouration, and male advertisement calls to analyse the systematic implications of variation in the whirring treefrog  Litoria revelata complex, which occurs in three allopatric populations—north-eastern New South Wales/south-eastern Queensland, mid-eastern Queensland, and northern Queensland. The three populations each form divergent lineages for both the nuclear (single nucleotide polymorphisms; SNP) and mitochondrial datasets and are diagnosable also on the basis of morphology and advertisement calls. In combination, we use these lines of data to recognise three species:  L. revelata  in north-eastern New South Wales/south eastern Queensland,  L. eungellensis  sp. nov.  in mid-eastern Queensland, and the resurrected  L. corbeni  in northern Queensland. We provide a preliminary conservation assessment for each species, with the latter two species being localised to very small upland areas and warranting conservation listing and attention.   Key words:  Anura, single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNP, taxonomy, Eungella, Wet Tropics

Our wonderful end of year Christmas Party - Kaya and Matt presenting some awards. As the year comes to a close, members of the Conservation Science Research Group were asked about their highs, lows and learnings from the past year. Here's some snapshots from our dedicated group members reflecting on this years activities and achievements. 1. Best and Worst Moments of 2024 "Moments that Defined the Year" We asked participants to share their standout moments—both good and bad—from 2024. Here are some highlights: 🧬 ' Best moment, probably a combination of getting good quality samples for my gene expression studies and the offer of help to analyse the results.' - Anne Ibbotson, PhD Candidate 🐧 'Best moment was going to South Africa and seeing African Penguins in the wild (used to work with them at Denver Zoo).' - Cassandra Bugir, CSRG Alumna 🐨 'Best and worst moment of the year was tracking a dropped koala collar in the middle of a swamp for 4 hours with James.' - Charlotte Rigolot, PhD Candidate 🦘 ' 'Best moment was catching a wallaby even though it was a swamp wallaby (I research Parma wallabies).' - Emily Jarvis, PhD Candidate 📄 'Best moment was submitting my thesis and realising that I didn’t have to write any more, my worst moment was when I finished my final presentation and realised I was finished my honour project.  ' - James Taylor, CSRG Honours Alumnus 🐸'The best moment would be when I learned I could visit Borneo for the World Congress. The worst was filling all those admin forms for these trips without knowing why I had to fill them.' - Krishna Komanduri, PhD Candidate 👩🏼‍🔬'Worst: My metal lab analysis results failing; Best: Finishing my metal lab analyses' - Mattea Taylor, PhD Candidate 🪴 ' Best: visiting the DPI biocontrol rearing facility in Grafton. Worst: probably getting bitten by 50+ ticks on that same trip ' - Amy Stephens, PhD Candidate A special mention to Finella Dawlings, Nadine Nolan and Siosina Katoa who all managed to submit their PhD's this year, which is no easy feat, congratulations to you all! 2. Favourite Memories from Field, Lab, or Desktop "Where Science Happens" From muddy waders to clean lab coats, a few memories stood out this year. It seems that the Barrington Tops trip was a highlight for our two undergrads Luke Reynolds and Yasmine Webb as well as PhD student Roshan Patel and Lecturer Alex Callen, who all described the beauty and amazing biodiversity of the area. A couple of other stunning locations caught the eye of our researchers... 🌿'Visiting Mangrove Creek Dam on the Central Coast. It’s a beautiful spot, despite the huge sagittaria infestation' - Amy Stephens, PhD Candidate 🏝️'Broughton Island, so beautiful and incredible to see frogs at the beach' - Anne Ibbotson, PhD Candidate 🌲'Spotlighting in the cloud forest at Mt Hyland, complete with Parma Wallabies.' - Emily Jarvis, PhD Candidate 🏝️ 'Fieldwork on Norfolk island – there’s nothing poisonous or bitey, so it’s very relaxing'   - Finella Dawlings, Research Associate 🦏'Watching a leopard in Sariska NP (India) and a greater one-horned rhino in Chitwan (Nepal)'.   - Matt Hayward, Professor While others enjoyed some time inside the lab and buried in data... 🐸 'Meeting the lab frogs ' - Jazmyn Miller, Undergrad 🧪'When a frozen sperm tube exploded on my face''  - Lily McGough, CSRG Honours Alumna 🧬'Getting DNA extractions to work after many trials. Yippee!! ' - Nikki Watson, Honours Student ' 🐸'' First successful Littlejohn’s tree frog tadpole'  - Rose Upton, Research Associate ' 📄'' Classic dorky favourite memory, that’s unique to this year, is digging into heaps of data sets and excel spreadsheet processing! Super stoked that heaps of people trusted me with their precious datasets and let me work some data magic on them, it’s definitely defined this year in a really good way.'  - Yasmine Webb, Undergrad Lets also not forget out heavy bias towards frogs in this group, we used to be a frog research group after all! 🐸 'Getting to hang with Green and golden bell frogs again. They are so bloody beautiful in the moonlight!'  - Michelle Hession, Postdoctoral Researcher   🐸 'The best memory was a night out frogging and finding the endangered Littlejohns tree frog at a pond it had been missing from in the last three years.'  - Nadine Nolan, CSRG PhD Alumna 🐸' The first time I went out frogging after completing my Honours project, (guilt free frogging!)'  - James Taylor, CSRG Honours Alumnus 🐸 'Luke getting attacked by an eel at Muddy Lake, eels aren't the target species unfortunately' - Kate Tunstill, PhD Candidate ' 🐸'' Hearing and then spotting eyes and bodies at night of what seemed like 80 bell frogs calling across a large expansive shallow wetland'' - Lynne Matthews, PhD Candidate I guess we can hear about other species now... 🐨'The two weeks of koala catching that went on in July for our project. These two weeks went exceptionally well and now allow us to have plenty of information on two koala populations in NSW.''   - Charlotte Rigolot, PhD Candidate 🪽'Banding migratory shorebirds at 4am'  - Mattea Taylor, PhD Candidate 3. Challenges Overcome in 2024 "Resilience in Action" Every year brings its hurdles. Here’s how some participants triumphed over theirs: 🧸'Work-life balance. The answer was child-care, FYI.'  - Michelle Hession, Postdoctoral Researcher   🌿'I find it hard to ‘stop and smell the roses’ when I am in the field as my time between research, teaching and everything else always seems compromised. I have been reminded of the joy of the field by some amazing students who take it all in and still get the job done. They find the most incredible things at every step they take!''   - Alex Callen, Lecturer 📄'Placement report because it was the largest assignment I have written and surviving the seminars''  - J azmyn Miller, Undergrad 📖'The challenge of having the will to finish Honours'   - Lily McGough, CSRG Honours Alumna ' 📖'' Juggling having a baby at the same time as doing an Honours thesis'' - Nikki Watson, Honours Student ✈️'This must be moving countries. Although it was worth it.' Krishna Komanduri, PhD Candidate   A common challenge this year for James Taylor, Kate Tunstill and Lynne Matthews was learning to code in R, a love-hate relationship indeed! 4. Scientific Discoveries That Inspired "Ideas That Sparked Curiosity" This year, our participants were captivated by findings across disciplines: 🧫'The Air Spora – check it out!' - Alex Callen, Lecturer 978-0-387-30253-9.pdf   ' 🐸 'The ‘frog sauna’ research that showed that bell frogs with chytrid are attracted to the shelters, and that once they clear infection they are more resistant to reinfection.' Anne Ibbotson, PhD Candidate https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-01650-z 🧬'Leech iDNA – look it up''.  - Emily Jarvis, PhD Candidate https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-28778-8.pdf 💧'Gabriel's work on groundwater, something I have no experience in but have learnt a lot about this year!' - Kate Tunstill, PhD Candidate https://hess.copernicus.org/articles/28/2767/2024/ 🪰' The complete mapping of a fruit fly's brain'. 'This research has a lot of scientific implications, but what gets me excited is that s that we’re one step closer to figuring out how the physical brain works — kind of like Killian’s brain rain scene in Iron Man 3' - Krishna Komanduri, PhD Candidate   https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-00709-7 🐸 'That the gut microbiome of amphibians influences their immunity and resistance to infections - just like humans - which is influenced by their environment' - Lynne Matthews, PhD Candidate https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471492220301070?casa_token=DEsPwE6pUcYAAAAA:tEn1m_r_e6Wqxv-R2aAp6L2tNp4Hiwskwu_B6ta2f1RqxDEnTIjBCO8jgCdp6a5prCdGDTSZiFZZ 📄'We can market conservation messages according to the political leanings of various constituencies.'  - Matt Hayward, Professor https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/cobi.14314 🪽'The food preferences of birds may influence their ability to deal with toxins, i.e. generalist birds can have higher levels of mixed function oxidase (MFO) which allows them to better detoxify and thus cope with higher toxin levels than species with more specialised diets.'  - Mattea Taylor, PhD Candidate https://tinyurl.com/y9sk7nvv 🌿'Blue/teal carbon trials. There are a lot of issues to work out but the idea of developers paying for habitat restoration for CCS is really appealing.'   - Michelle Hession, Postdoctoral Researcher   https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11430-017-9181-x 🐸' That the Littlejohn’s tree frog demonstrate developmental plasticity during the larval stage under different hydroperiod regimes.'  - Nadine Nolan, CSRG PhD Alumna https://europepmc.org/article/ppr/ppr836538 👩🏼‍🔬'Successful black footed ferret clone produced healthy offspring.'  - Roshan Patel, PhD Candidate https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320721001701 🌍'One of the highlights while reading scientific literature this year was stumbling upon the field of Environmental History, as explored extremely aptly by Glenn Albrecht. I happened upon this field and form of inquiry while working on a smaller investigative geography project, and it strikes me as such a powerful application of how our natural history observations, both Indigenous and colonial, showcase to what degree our environments have changed over time.' - Yasmine Webb, Undergrad https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Glenn-Albrecht/publication/5820433_Solastalgia_The_Distress_Caused_by_Environmental_Change/links/02e7e51beff7eb0b3a000000/Solastalgia-The-Distress-Caused-by-Environmental-Change.pdf As we wrap up 2024, we would like to thank everyone who has supported our group this year (even you readers!) and we look forward to more adventures, breakthroughs, and memories in 2025, as well as the new Centre for Conservation Science at the University of Newcastle.

Author: James Taylor So you have begun undergrad … life is different from school, you are in a new environment, new people and with that comes new challenges. During your undergrad you may come across this triangle: There is a critical piece missing from this triangle which is of course - Work. If you are among the lucky few who can afford to live at home without having to pay rent then kudos to you. The reality is that many students beginning University are also working to survive. When you have to work and balance Uni assignments, life can be extremely challenging. A few tips on helping with getting a better balance - try to organise your Uni timetable around your work, or if work is more flexible do the opposite. I was fortunate to have a steady job one day a week, and I made sure that no classes were scheduled on that day so I could always work. Not all jobs are this flexible, and it’s not always possible to plan your entire semester in advance. In such cases, it’s helpful to give your manager plenty of notice, as University classes typically follow a fixed schedule. This way, your manager can be aware of your availability ahead of time and accommodate your schedule where possible. Planning out your semester schedule with assignments is critical to reducing stress in the long run. I typically like to do this in Excel...because I’m a nerd. I would get the course outlines as soon as possible and then put them all into a spreadsheet with the major assignments highlighted. Every semester in my three year degree I would do this and every time I would think how am I going to complete this? The reality is one week at a time. Cross off the assignments that you have done and the semester will fly by before your eyes. Attending class is also extremely important, as difficult as it can be to drag yourself out of bed for an 8:00 AM math lecture. Studies have shown that class attendance is directly linked with success at University. Another critical skill, which I think helps students, is having a good working relationship with academics. Crazy thought but academics are people too and showing an interest in their work can lead to some amazing opportunities, especially if you can demonstrate a level of critical thinking by asking questions about their research.

Author: Anne Ibbotson Image: Anne during a survey night in the Watagan Mountains I have been incredibly fortunate to be a part of an amazing project where we are putting research into practice to help create habitat for the endangered Littlejohn’s tree frog. This gorgeous tree frog with its bronze speckled body and bright orange thighs is isolated to only three remaining populations - the Watagans, Woronora plateau and the Blue Mountains. With the Blue Mountains population badly affected by the 2019/2020 megafires, the Woronora plateau population under threat from longwall mining, safeguarding the Watagans population is critical for the survival of the species. Image: Littlejohn's tree frog As part of my industry engaged PhD pathway I have been doing an internship with Forestry NSW, which is funding and undertaking the habitat creation project. We have a wonderful team of people working on this project from both Forestry NSW and the Conservation Science Research Group at The University of Newcastle. We are passionate about using research findings to make evidence-based decisions so that we are creating not only habitat, but the right type of habitat for the species. To give this species the best chance at survival Forestry NSW are creating a series of ponds to act as stepping stones to help connect genetically isolated populations of frogs across the Watagans. This should help combat the high levels of inbreeding that Nadine Nolan, a Conservation Science Research Group member, uncovered in her PhD research. Inbreeding in frogs, like in other animals can impact health and survival. The ponds will be placed a few hundred metres apart and close by to existing ponds inhabited by the species. They will provide additional breeding habitat and create moist refuges to help the movement of frogs across the landscape. These ponds will help connect previously isolated populations and ultimately improve the genetics and health of this critical Watagan population. Images: Construction of ponds as a refuge for the species We are now most of the way through the pond construction and they are looking amazing! With thoughtful excavation vegetation has been retained to minimise disturbance and provide habitat. The ponds have also been lined to ensure they retain water, which is especially important as the Littlejohn’s tree frog has a long 6 to 12 month tadpole stage. There are still lots of plants to put in the ground, and we’re creating information boards and signs to help engage the community and promote awareness. A lovely surprise was finding Littlejohn’s tadpoles in water pooling on a 4WD track we plan to close to create the ponds.