https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11...on-to-save-australian-sleepy-lizards/10561726
Student on a mission to save sleepy lizards across Australia
ABC North and West
By Shannon Corvo
Posted about 6 hours agoFri 30 Nov 2018, 6:47am
Photo: Jake hopes his signs will stop drivers running over the lizards. (ABC North and West: Shannon Corvo)
Related Story: Why the blue tongue? Things you should know about these common lizards
Related Story: Life, death and a sleepy lizard: One researcher's remarkable work
Jake Morrison Croker loves playing the drums, riding on his skateboard and saving sleepy lizards.
The six-year-old has designed his own animal road signs, replacing the common kangaroo and koala with a shingleback lizard.
"I'm making signs for them because I see a large number of sleepy lizards getting run over every day," Jake said.
"It makes me feel sad."
He hoped the signs would be erected all around Australia to warn drivers to watch out for sleepy lizards.
A family affair
Jake and his family live at Cross Roads, at the northern end of South Australia's Yorke Peninsula.
They try to save lizards from oncoming traffic when it is safe to do so.
"We saved five and we let them go in heaps of places to live in bushes and in other people's sheds away from roads," Jake said.
Photo: Jake's mother Alison, sister Scarlet, father Wes, and dog Oscar are all lizard lovers. (ABC North and West: Shannon Corvo)
Jake came up with the idea himself and got his family to help him draw the picture of the shingleback.
"I took a photo of it to school and then I photocopied it … and then I gave it to every class," he said.
Jake's school joins him on his quest
Now, the whole Wallaroo Mines Primary School is involved with making the signs.
School principal Adele Keleher said you do not usually find this kind of initiative in kids Jake's age.
"That will also inspire other kids involved to think 'well, if a reception [early primary school] student has got enough get up and go to do this, what change can I make?'" Ms Keleher said
Photo: Not all six-year-olds are as passionate as Jake Croker. (ABC North and West: Shannon Corvo)
"We thought, 'well let's make it into a little bit of a competition and get the whole school on board to put up signs around the copper coast'.
"The competition hasn't finished, but what we were thinking is, once the winner is announced, we would copy it and laminate it and ask each child in the school to put it somewhere.
"Obviously we need to be aware of litter and things blowing away, so there are a few things to consider and obviously we would have to have some consultation with the council."
Council shows support
Copper Coast Council Mayor, Roslyn Talbot, said it is fantastic to see someone so young care so much about the reptiles, but there are processes that must be followed before the signs are put up.
"He would have to put in an application to council and it would be up to the elected members to decide if they wanted to proceed with this or allow him to depending on where they want them to go," Ms Talbot said.
"If they're Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure roads, there's legislation that would have to be complied with."
Jake will continue to save sleepy lizards and lobby for road signs
Student on a mission to save sleepy lizards across Australia
ABC North and West
By Shannon Corvo
Posted about 6 hours agoFri 30 Nov 2018, 6:47am
Photo: Jake hopes his signs will stop drivers running over the lizards. (ABC North and West: Shannon Corvo)
Related Story: Why the blue tongue? Things you should know about these common lizards
Related Story: Life, death and a sleepy lizard: One researcher's remarkable work
Jake Morrison Croker loves playing the drums, riding on his skateboard and saving sleepy lizards.
The six-year-old has designed his own animal road signs, replacing the common kangaroo and koala with a shingleback lizard.
"I'm making signs for them because I see a large number of sleepy lizards getting run over every day," Jake said.
"It makes me feel sad."
He hoped the signs would be erected all around Australia to warn drivers to watch out for sleepy lizards.
A family affair
Jake and his family live at Cross Roads, at the northern end of South Australia's Yorke Peninsula.
They try to save lizards from oncoming traffic when it is safe to do so.
"We saved five and we let them go in heaps of places to live in bushes and in other people's sheds away from roads," Jake said.
Photo: Jake's mother Alison, sister Scarlet, father Wes, and dog Oscar are all lizard lovers. (ABC North and West: Shannon Corvo)
Jake came up with the idea himself and got his family to help him draw the picture of the shingleback.
"I took a photo of it to school and then I photocopied it … and then I gave it to every class," he said.
Jake's school joins him on his quest
Now, the whole Wallaroo Mines Primary School is involved with making the signs.
School principal Adele Keleher said you do not usually find this kind of initiative in kids Jake's age.
"That will also inspire other kids involved to think 'well, if a reception [early primary school] student has got enough get up and go to do this, what change can I make?'" Ms Keleher said
Photo: Not all six-year-olds are as passionate as Jake Croker. (ABC North and West: Shannon Corvo)
"We thought, 'well let's make it into a little bit of a competition and get the whole school on board to put up signs around the copper coast'.
"The competition hasn't finished, but what we were thinking is, once the winner is announced, we would copy it and laminate it and ask each child in the school to put it somewhere.
"Obviously we need to be aware of litter and things blowing away, so there are a few things to consider and obviously we would have to have some consultation with the council."
Council shows support
Copper Coast Council Mayor, Roslyn Talbot, said it is fantastic to see someone so young care so much about the reptiles, but there are processes that must be followed before the signs are put up.
"He would have to put in an application to council and it would be up to the elected members to decide if they wanted to proceed with this or allow him to depending on where they want them to go," Ms Talbot said.
"If they're Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure roads, there's legislation that would have to be complied with."
Jake will continue to save sleepy lizards and lobby for road signs