G'day All. I just want to say a HUGE thanks to all those who turned up to the talk on Wednesday. Thanks to the organisers and it was a huge turnout, where I got to meet a heap of people and catch up with a lot of old friends. I saw a number of people speak with the many herpetological luminaries that were at the meeting and for me that is heartening. As a youngster growing up in SA, the whole set up at herp groups was intimidating and it was many years before I got to meet many of my childhood heroes, only to find they are just down to earth people, hopefully some of you found the same. I know a few of you traveled a long way to be there and I hope you had fun. I have got to say there were many aspects of the talk that I am passionate about. Helping Aboriginal people in a small way to realise a return on a scarce resource, make sure we do something to ensure OUR animals do not go extinct and create a public awareness for the way we are losing animals with the current regime of 'lock it up and it will be fine' not working and wanting to have a whole of community approach to offer as one of many alternatives. This unfortunately means that people have to think about what is happening and want to be a part of the solution. I also threw in a sarcastic ruse with a bit on cane toads evolving to have larger brains through natural selection and this meant they could escape from an oncoming car, thus the evolution of reason. I am not sure that many people got that but what I was trying to point out is that Toads are getting pretty much ALL research funding in the north at the moment. The scientific weight of numbers and propaganda is so heavily weighted to this cause that it almost appears that nothing else matters. No-oone seems particularly worried about this, and yet some of that funding could and alternatively would be used to work out why species of small mammals in Kakakdu have dropped by 70%, or why species numbers have dropped by 82%. As I said I think we can change a generational way of thinking but it will take groups like the AHS to want to change it and approach all and sundry to change it, part of that change starts with anger, frustration and disappointment and I see that with many reptile keepers around Australia who as law abiding people are subject to draconian tactics just to keep a native pet (reptile). If anyone has any questions please dont hesitate to ask, and to the person who said I was 'cagey', I'm sorry you thought that, I tried to answer every question on its merits and went to some lengths on this subject but I am under contract with my partners for non disclosure, so I said as much as I could rather than breach that contract and undo all the trust the traditional owners have vested in me. Cheers Gavin
