Projects Smooth Operation By Owain Masters - Snakes in the Heather Public Engagement & Education Officer Good news! Snakes in the Heather, our new project to help conserve the smooth snake, is underway. Snakes in the Heather (SitH) is a large-scale, four-year project across the snake’s distribution range in southern England to increase our knowledge of the species for better coordination of conservation efforts essential for its longterm survival. We are working with numerous partners to develop a national monitoring programme for the species. With coordination we will gather data necessary to deepen our knowledge of smooth snake habitat preferences, how this changes over the year, how land management affects this and more. This information will be shared with partners including wildlife NGOs, land managers and Natural England to strengthen conservation of our rarest snake. Through Snakes in the Heather we are supporting the species monitoring programme with education and habitat enhancement programmes. We are working with volunteers and our field teams to manage heathland, using what we already know, and building in the new information we gather, to ensure heathland is in optimal condition for smooth snakes, and our other reptiles. We are also working with schools and communities to celebrate our native species, and shout about what makes the smooth snake special!
Public input is invaluable to our work at ARC and there are several great ways to get involved. For more information please visit: https:// www.arc-trust.org/snakes-in-theheather Photo top right: juvenile smooth snakes © Angela Reynolds. Photo bottom left: smooth snake © Chris Dresh.
Snakes in the Heather is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Bannister Trust and Love the Forest (New Forest Trust).
Projects
Two Project Officers have been employed for the project. Ben Limburn, the Citizen Science and Project Operations Officer, is leading the development of the monitoring programme, and working with ARC staff and external partners to ensure data is used to inform conservation. Owain Masters, the Public Engagement and Education Officer, is leading the delivery of an engagement programme which includes giving lessons in schools, providing presentations to community groups and leading guided walks.
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