11 minute read
COP 26
A Video for COP 26, no Blah, blah, blah!
By Janet Ullman - Saving Scotland’s Amphibians & Reptiles Education Officer
COP 26 is over and the streets of Glasgow are cleared of any trace of it. What remains are video messages from a number of organisations and individuals asking the delegates of COP to listen and to act. Amongst that number of videos on Facebook and YouTube you can find ARC’s video on the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation channel.
The new ARC project team for Saving Scotland’s amphibians and reptiles project (SSAAR) comprising of myself and Rachael, were asked to do a COP 26 video, as we were close to the action in Scotland. Team Scotland was honoured to be given the opportunity, but how would our message stand out amongst so many? Every day on Facebook another video plea to COP was shared, there was a danger any more would add nothing to what was already out there.
I had been working with Plockton High School in Lochalsh, and been impressed by the level of knowledge and understanding the students had of environmental issues facing them. I reasoned that perhaps people wanted to hear from the communities ARC work with, especially from the next generation who will inherit all of the outcomes of COP. I asked the school’s Head of Science if the students would be interested in delivering their message to COP through ARC and here we have to say a big thank you to Mr McGrath and the whole school for supporting the idea.
These Plockton High School Students have a clear message. © Janet Ullman (ARC).
The students came together to decide what they needed to say, they did not hold back. Their message is honest, ‘To massively compress time for action’ and ‘To have genuine concern’. The students’ film has a wee Team Scotland intro and end videos, as ARC is proud to give communities a greater voice. No Blah blah blah! You can view the students video here https://tinyurl.com/plockton-high-COP26 We are very grateful to our funders, the Helvellyn Foundation, The RS MacDonald Charitable Trust and The Bannister Charitable Trust who have made this project possible.
Meet the team: Martine Watkins - Admin & Finance Officer
What does a day in the life of an Admin and Finance Officer look like?
My day isn’t as exciting as others, but nevertheless it is enjoyable – if you like admin and finance! I am part-time and each day is different depending on the day of the week and how far through the month we are. It always starts with my email mountain, as this can often determine how the rest of the day will go. I deal with invoices from suppliers and to customers, put together quarterly financial claims for ARC projects, book keep with Helen and Angela and deal with monthly staff paperwork.
What do you like most about working for a wildlife conservation charity?
I love the fact, that in this crazy and materialistic world, I am lucky enough to work for an organisation that is conserving the amazing environment that we live in. Although I’m behind a desk in the office, and not hands on in the field, without the admin and finance team things would quickly grind to a halt.
Do you have a favourite reptile or amphibian and what do you love about them?
By Jim Foster - Conservation Director
Almost one third of Great Britain’s amphibian and reptile species are threatened with risk of extinction, according to a new report by ARC. Moreover, two species often considered common may be heading down a similar route.
With support from Natural England, ARC has undertaken the first regional assessment of extinction risk using the IUCN Red List method, a globally recognised approach. Whilst typically applied across the global range of a species, Red Listing can be applied at smaller scales, and ARC did this for all native amphibians and reptiles at Great Britain and country levels.
The exercise reveals that 4 out of 13 species (31%) are in one of the “Threatened” categories, meaning they face a tangible risk of extinction at country level. The most threatened species is the northern pool frog, now classed as “Critically Endangered”. The natterjack toad, sand lizard and smooth snake are each assessed as either “Endangered” or “Vulnerable”. The common toad is “Near Threatened” in Great Britain, England and Scotland, and the adder is “Vulnerable” in England and “Near Threatened” at all other scales.
All of the species are deemed “Least Concern” at a European or global level, the lowest threat category, meaning that is there is no appreciable risk of extinction at these scales. These new results therefore usefully highlight how extinction risk varies substantially according to the spatial scale of assessment. The main factors driving threat levels for amphibians and reptiles appear to be the loss, degradation and fragmentation of habitat. The results echo findings for British butterflies, pointing to the possibility of common threats.
ARC hopes the results will prove invaluable for conservation. Red List categories could, for example, be used to inform revised approaches to protected site designation. The findings for common toad and adder are especially useful since they reinforce the message that wide ranges may mask declines, and these species deserve greater conservation attention. The Red List assessment will be reviewed as new data emerge in future, possibly meaning some species shift category in years to come.
As with any assessment method, care is needed when interpreting and applying Red List categories. Red Listing simply expresses extinction risk at a given spatial scale, and so other information must be used alongside or even instead of Red Lists for most conservation applications. Red Listing uses a “floor” – i.e. extinction – but for species above that level it does not usefully assess true conservation status. Even species that are substantially depleted can be assessed as “Least Concern”, as we found. This is highlighted in new research published in July where a “Green Status of Species” is proposed to address the shortcomings of Red Lists. ARC encourages appropriate use of Red Listing in Great Britain, noting that unfortunate consequences can arise, for instance when it is used as the main criterion for legal protection as we highlighted recently.
Notwithstanding those caveats, this first Red List for Britain’s amphibians and reptiles is a significant achievement and we look forward to seeing it used to drive conservation action. ARC is thankful for the support of Natural England for this work.
The report is available at ARC’s “Technical reports” page https:// www.arc-trust.org/technical-reports and the full reference is: Foster, J., Driver, D., Ward, R. & Wilkinson, J. (2021). IUCN Red List assessment of amphibians and reptiles at Great Britain and country scale. Report to Natural England. ARC report. ARC, Bournemouth.
Photo top right: Sand lizards are assessed as ‘Endangered’ in Great Britain, contrasting with their global ‘Least Concern’ rating © Chris Dresh (ARC). Photo bottom left: Substantial declines in the common toad mean the species is deemed ‘Near Threatened’ in Great Britain © Fred Holmes (ARC).
By Dr Karen Haysom - Species Programmes Manager
Understanding the status and trends of amphibians and reptiles is fundamental to deciding priorities for conservation actions to secure species populations in the long-term. Information on species distribution, abundance and habitat condition can help landmanagers make decisions on habitat management to suit the ecological requirements of species at a local level, and can also inform the development of conservation strategies at landscape, regional and national scales. ARC is committed to evidence-based conservation; we encourage species recording, train people in species identification and field-craft skills, carry out and co-ordinate species and habitat surveys and collaborate on conservation research. Now we are introducing some exciting improvements to our survey programme.
To raise the profile of amphibian and reptile monitoring work there’s a new name for our portfolio of surveys and projects that generate data for conservation - the National Amphibian and Reptile Monitoring Programme. You can find out more about current projects by visiting the ARC Survey Hub (www.arc-trust.org/ monitoring). The programme will expand to include new initiatives over time, as it is our ambition for it to become a comprehensive source of information on both rare and widespread species. There are surveys suitable for beginners such as Garden Dragon Watch and others for people with more experience. We are looking for volunteer surveyors, and also landowners who could offer to host survey sites, for the National Amphibian Survey https://amphibian-survey.arc-trust.org and/or National Reptile Survey https://reptilesurvey.arc-trust.org. These surveys, which will be running from spring 2022, are designed to determine trends in amphibian and reptile populations. They take forward and update the widespread amphibian and reptile elements of the National Amphibian and Reptile Recording Scheme (NARRS) which has been running since 2007. Our aim is to grow a large network of long-term monitoring sites that surveyors will visit several times each year.
The surveys make use of new technologies to help surveyors collect and submit data and new data analysis techniques. Participants are offered a free personal login to ARC Survey Hub to access content and interactive resources including maps, survey guidance, training materials and digital forms/apps for submitting data and viewing their survey results on a mobile phone, PC or tablet. Please sign up to help us with surveys next year if you can. Every single record helps!
Saving Scotland’s Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAAR)
By Dr Rachael Cooper-Bohannon - SSAAR Project Officer Janet Ullman - SSAAR Education Officer & Dr John Wilkinson - Regional, Training and Science Programmes Manager
Scotland is renowned for its diverse landscapes; the vast expanse of mountains, glens, moorlands and majestic coastline, made up of ‘lovely crinkly edges’, and the quiet rolling hills, lochs and pastures of the lowlands. Part of its many charms are the plants and animals found across Scotland’s landscapes. Unfortunately, we have already lost nearly 25% of our wildlife in Scotland! Like us, they all struggle with the challenges of sometimes experiencing four seasons in a day – long, dark winters and short summer nights as the sun appears to skip along the horizon. The amphibians and reptiles that survive here are incredibly resilient. Climate change, pollution and loss of habitats cause increased stress, tipping the balance of survival. We need more data to better understand how Scotland’s amphibians and reptiles are doing and we urgently need people across Scotland to get involved!
It is with this in mind, we are delighted to let you know about a new initiative that has joined the ARC family of projects this Autumn: the Saving Scotland’s Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAAR) project. The SSAAR project builds on ARC’s previous project work in Scotland, and with two new members of staff on board, SSAAR aims to expand this work. ARC recently welcomed Rachael Cooper-Bohannon (Project Officer) and Janet Ullman (Education Officer), both have backgrounds in conservation, species monitoring and community engagement projects.
Our priority in Scotland is to collect baseline and monitoring data for Scottish amphibians and reptiles, which is only possible through the collective help of Citizen Scientists. Rachael will be heading up a Scotland-wide Citizen Science survey (the National Amphibian and Reptile Monitoring Programmes). We welcome both those with experience but also those with no previous experience to join in and volunteer as surveyors. Backed by ARC staff expertise, we’ll support you with training and advice along the way. We welcome individuals and also community groups. You will learn how to monitor and record species, and we will support survey volunteers to further develop their skills and to share those skills with others, expanding the volunteer network through and between communities. If you have experience and would be interested in becoming a trainer or mentor, please get in touch with Rachael at rachael@arc-trust.org.
We are also very keen to support land managers, from identifying what species you have on your land to habitat creation and management. Every place has a role to play in stopping the decline in amphibians and reptiles’ populations. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more.
No conservation project is complete without events, activities and workshops, which will increase awareness of how amphibians and reptiles live, their place as our close neighbours and friends when it comes to controlling garden pests. Local communities are the custodians of their environment and, by fully appreciating the species within it, they can safeguard them. Janet will be heading out and about in local communities, bringing wildlife fairs, art activities, stories, poetry, pond dips, games and of course nature walks and talks to schools, organised groups and the wider community. For further information email: janet.ullman@arc-trust.org.
The SSAAR project is more than just another conservation survey project. Great things are achieved through individuals coming together for the benefit of species conservation, whether that is to build refugia for hibernating slow-worms or doing a slithering snakes puppet workshop. SSAAR aims to support strengthening communities by encouraging new skills and overcoming isolation through connecting to nature and reconnecting with life after lockdown.
If you live in Scotland and want to find out more or get involved, please visit: www.arc-trust.org/saving-
scotlands-amphibians-and-reptiles
We are very grateful to our funders, the Helvellyn Foundation, The RS MacDonald Charitable Trust and The Bannister Charitable Trust who have made this project possible.
