Reporting of Endangered Species Sightings

In south west Western Australia, we have an endangered marsupial, the Western Ringtail Possum. In the mid 1980s, sightings of this animal were uncommon and, when seen, they were usually roadkill. So our local nature study group started a "Squashed Possum Book" where members of our group recorded every sighting of the species, whether dead or alive. Today, we have some 4000 records from a geographical area some 50 km east west and 20 km north south. Analysis of this data is being carried out by 2 researchers, such is the value they place on the database, and an earlier less academic study showed interesting and credible changes of possum sighting frequency with time and place. Another semi-government group recently placed a quarter page questionnaire about possums sightings in several of our local newspapers, with one lucky person to receive a carton of wine if their completed survey form was pulled from the hat. In general, I think you need to make reporting both interesting or fun for the reporting person (ie, the squashed possum book) and valuable (reporters need to know that their reports will be very useful in efforts to assist in the conservation of the species of interest. One additional way we found of combining these two features was to hold spotlight searches in urban and outer urban areas to which the public were invited. Depending on the weather and what was on TV that night, attendance varied from 8 to 20.

Bernie

Hi Bernie,

Have you thought about shouting yourself a flight to New Zealand and conducting a possum survey here? We have 90 million introduced Australian possums and would be delighted to return them as they are eating our rare native fauna into extinction. I confess I can't guarantee the rings on the tails.

Kind Regards
Janet