HopGossip! Spring/Summer 2021 In this issue… Rethinking Nature Conservation in the UK – Starting in Dorset! Pool frogs take a leap forward ARC’s new animated adder guide & Gems in the Dunes - Leaving a legacy
Contents Amphibian and Reptile Conservation is a national wildlife charity committed to conserving amphibians and reptiles and the habitats on which they depend. Bournemouth - Head Office 744 Christchurch Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset BH7 6BZ Telephone 01202 391319 Email enquiries@arc-trust.org
www.arc-trust.org
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Hop off the Press
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Citizen Science & Monitoring
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ARC News.
Alien Antics. Natterjack toads and coastal erosion.
Policy
Rethinking Nature Conservation in the UK – Starting in Dorset!
10 Feature
Pool frogs take a leap forward.
12 Education
ARC’s new animated adder guide. Snakes in the Heather - Video lessons & Dates for your diary.
Patrons: Earl of Malmesbury Chris Packham Iolo Williams Lucy Cooke
14 Projects
Chair of Trustees: Jonathan Webster Chief Executive Officer: Dr Tony Gent Conservation Director: Jim Foster
16 Events
Species on the Edge. Gems in the Dunes - Leaving a legacy. The Herpetofauna Workers Meeting 2021.
17 Fundraising Administration & Finance Manager: Helen Wraight Administration & Finance Officer: Martine Watkins JustGiving: Parley Common and Administrative Support Officer: Angela Reynolds Beyond. Amphibian Conservation Officer: Yvette Martin ARC Guardians. Communications & Outreach Manager: Anju Sarpal 18 Species Profile Connecting the Dragons Project Officer: Peter Hill Purbeck mason wasp Connecting the Dragons Project Officer: Mark Barber (Pseudepipona herrichii). Database & GIS Officer: Dr Rob Ward 19 Tail-Enders Dorset Field Officer: Richie Johnson The eyes have it! Dorset Field Officer: James Anderson-Barr Dorset Field Officer: William Emmett-Mair Dorset Field Officer/Health & Safety Officer: Richard Sharp If you would like to contribute to Friendship & E-Communications Officer: Kim Boughey the next edition please contact Fundraising Coordinator (part time consultant): Atul Srivastava Angela Reynolds at GCN Conservation Officer/Species Coordinator: Dorothy Driver angela.reynolds@arc-trust.org. Gems in the Dunes Project Manager: Fiona Sunners Gems in the Dunes Project Officer: Andrew Hampson IT Project Officer: Johnny Novy Cover photo: Dune slack on Monitoring Dragons Project Officer: George Mee the Sefton Coast © Alex North Wales Officer: Mandy Cartwright Hyde (GitD - Back from the Pool Frog Recovery Project Assistant: Emily Jordan Brink). Pool Frog Recovery Project Manager: Dr John Baker Pool Frog Recovery Project Officer: Ben King Hop Gossip is edited and Reptile Conservation Officer: Nick Moulton designed by Angela Regional, Training & Science Programmes Manager: Dr John Wilkinson Reynolds. Senior Dorset Field Officer: Chris Dresh Senior Ecologist - Projects: Paul Edgar Please note: The views Senior Reserves Manager: Gary Powell expressed in this newsletter South Midlands Newt Conservation Partnership Project Officer: Dr Andrew Buxton are not necessarily the Snakes in the Heather Citizen Science & Operations Officer: Ben Limburn views of Amphibian & Snakes in the Heather Public Engagement & Education Officer: Owain Masters Reptile South East Project Officer: Rachael Maddison Conservation but those of Species on the Edge Coastal Treasures Project Development Officer: Paul Kirkland the authors. Species Programme Manager: Dr Karen Haysom Wealden Field Officer: Fiona Haynes Amphibian and Reptile Wealden Field Officer: John Gaughan Conservation is a Wealden Field Officer & Volunteer Coodinator: Bryony Davison Registered Charity. Wealden Reserves Manager: Rob Free England & Wales Charity number. 1130188. Scotland Charity number. SC044097. 2
From the Editor’s desk
Welcome to the latest issue of Hop Gossip! What a strange spring we have had - warm, icy, dry, hot and then wet and cold again! Shorts, T shirt and factor 30 one day and jumper, jacket and wellies the next! If we find these weather patterns confusing, imagine how it affects our amphibians. We have certainly seen and heard about things playing out differently in and around ponds up and down the country this year. With climate change bearing down upon us, we can expect to see the behaviour and habitat use of our amphibians and reptiles shifting seasonally, just like our seasons seem to be, as they try to adapt to our ever changing weather patterns. We would be very interested to hear about the things you have been witnessing by reporting the events in your garden through Garden Dragon Watch www.arc-trust.org/garden-dragonwatch and out and about through the Record Pool www.recordpool.org.uk. At last summer has arrived and with it lots of new things to tell you about. We have been recruiting, the pool frog project is well underway and we have events planned. This summer also means the end of what has been a wonderfully successful project up on the Sefton coast. We are proud of what we have achieved with Gems in the Dunes through the Back from the Brink project and you can read about it on page 15. It feels like life, as we used to know it, is slowly returning to some sort of normality at last. I hope that our renewed appreciation for nature, and the environment we all relied upon to help us unwind and leave the confines of our homes, lives on long after the pandemic. I hope you all have a fantastic summer! Angela Reynolds Hop Gossip Editor angela.reynolds@arc-trust.org
C.E.O.’s Corner Dr Tony Gent
People need wildlife. Whether this is a major interest or just a passing appreciation of the wildlife in a garden or on a commute to work, the fascination of wild animals and plants plays a significant role in many people’s lives. For many of our supporters, the start of a new year is often heralded by the return of the garden frogs, by the search for the first sighting of a reptile or marked by the first natterjack survey of the year. But nature also brings more benefits – simply being in nature has been shown to contribute positively to people’s health and well-being. The restrictions imposed through the COVID crisis disrupted plans for the avid wildlife watcher; curtailing the chance to travel to visit wildlife rich areas or those unique places that are the only locations for certain habitats or species. However, for many people, the restrictions on normal day-to-day activities, whether this was going to the cinema, football, shopping, visiting friends and family, meant that they sought out local open spaces and perhaps experienced nature for the first time, and have seen how this has helped them both physically and mentally. ARC has always been keen to share our interest in reptiles and amphibians and encourage people across the country, from all walks of life, to appreciate and to understand these animals that form a key part of our shared natural heritage, and that feature so significantly in our culture and traditions. But we also recognise this is not always easy – so often there are barriers, whether physical, demographic, locational or societal, that can prevent this from happening. Where people live and their personal circumstances will make a huge difference to their ability to experience nature, whether casually or as key interest in their lives. We are therefore enthusiastic supporters of the increasing drive across the nature conservation sector to reduce the barriers for engagement. We also know that nature needs people. Many species have thrived through traditional human activities. Ponds and heaths, open coppiced habitats, for example – which are vital habitats for amphibians and reptiles have been created through human activities and are maintained by active intervention management today. More significantly though, in a country where land use is determined by people and where larger global impacts such as climate change are driven by human activities, we need people – and especially those in political and decision making roles – to put nature at the heart of their thinking. However, as interest in wildlife grows, we are equally aware that this will lead to much greater pressures on places as people wish to see it or experience it first hand; we saw a significant increase in the use of our nature reserves by people through COVID. Increasingly we are faced with the dilemma of wanting more people to experience nature while still looking to manage havens for wildlife. The solution is that we need more of it, much more of it. We need to see more ‘green space’ being within close proximity to urban areas, and natural areas across the countryside made bigger, better and more joined up. We need to see it better protected and supported – with funding that allows land owners to confidently invest in nature and for areas to be safeguarded into the future. We also need effective regulation to support this. We are hugely concerned that the Government’s proposed changes to the Planning System in England will undermine this and so ARC, as part of a large group of environmental organisations, is strongly advising against these proposals. We need to ensure the mechanisms that consider wildlife are maintained and to ensure that the local voices, keen to save ‘their patch,’ can still be heard. It is now even more important for people to shout about nature; we need more people to enjoy, experience and to champion it. Our work at ARC is fundamentally about conserving amphibians and reptiles - but it is also about providing benefits for people too.
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Wither the frogs? By Dr John Wilkinson - Regional, Training & Science Programmes Manager Here at ARC, we often answer enquiries about frogs… especially, of course, in Spring – because that’s when they turn up in our ponds to meet mates and spawn. Afterwards, they’re often pretty tired and hungry and leave the ponds to forage for slugs and insects, to build up their energy reserves ready for hibernation and next year’s breeding! But this year, there was a very rainy period, then cold and windy, followed by hot and dry weather and it has made some of them change behaviour. Here in deepest Shropshire, at least, I’ve literally never seen so many frogs of all ages and sizes in and around my small ponds at this time of year. The reason seems to be that their normal, terrestrial foraging behaviour would at the moment mean they risk drying out – so it’s much more sensible for them to stay in and around the pond where they can take a cool swim whenever they need to rehydrate… and this is probably exacerbated by the reaction of many insects to the recent weather patterns: there has been a lack of caterpillars and other insects whose lifecycles have been delayed. So, the frogs gain an extra benefit from hanging around ponds for longer – a buffet of hoverflies and other tasty bugs dropping in to feed from the flowers of the aquatic plants that are just coming into bloom!
Monitoring dragons: from St. David’s to Monmouth! By Dr John Wilkinson - Regional, Training & Science Programmes Manager Amphibian and Reptile Conservation’s new Monitoring Dragons project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, aims to establish a network of long term monitoring sites across southern Wales. A key element of this project is the training and mentoring of new and existing citizen scientists in herpetofauna survey techniques, and facilitating the use of their newfound skills, including how to use innovative new recording technologies (mobile data collection). Volunteers will be trained in specific survey techniques for the species of interest to them, be it visual searches for reptiles, or searching for great crested newts under torchlight. Evidence suggests that herpetofauna populations are declining worldwide, with habitat loss and fragmentation being key drivers. Amphibians and reptiles in Wales face the same threats, but these can be very difficult to assess due to a lack of longterm monitoring data – which the new project aims to address. The project will include all species of herpetofauna found in southern Wales, but will focus on three priority species, the adder, common toad and great crested newt. We have identified a wide range of target survey sites in all local authority areas in south Wales, from national parks to post-industrial brownfield sites.
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"Volunteers will be matched to Welsh monitoring sites in our pilot network and supported with the tools and skills required by our field officers, beyond the initial survey, so it’s a great way for people to find out about their local area and develop their ecological skills.” Said ARC project officer George Mee:
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Photo: Frogs on John’s pond bank amongst the grass and water forget-me-not © JWW.
“Monitoring sites established during this project will be used for years to come, providing invaluable data to researchers, NGOs and Statutory Nature Conservation organisations, building a brighter future for amphibians and reptiles in Wales.”
Have you noticed a change in behaviour in and around your garden pond? We would be very interested to hear about it through our Garden Dragon Watch survey www.arc-trust.org/gardendragon-watch. Your contribution will help us to map garden reptiles and amphibians and we will report back on what people are finding.
The common toad is one of the projects’ three priority species © Fred Holmes.
In mid-May, ARC volunteers joined me to release sixteen sand lizards as part of ARC’s sand lizard captive breeding and reintroduction program (which is carried out under licence from Natural England). ARC maintains a captive breeding population of native Surrey Weald race sand lizards which have been reintroduced to areas where suitable habitat has been created, and appropriate surveys have been carried out over successive years to ensure the site meets the requirements for a licenced reintroduction. This site falls within the historical range of the sand lizard and they were present in the area until relatively recently, but due to habitat degradation the population has dwindled. ARC has worked hard to return the habitat to an optimal sand lizard environment and now we are in a position to release young lizards here to ensure the continued survival of the population. The lizards released were bred in 2020 and they have been given a head start being larger than their wild compatriots would be at the same age. They did not hibernate over the winter but were kept active and have had six months more feeding time than the wild juveniles have. Being larger than regular yearlings, they will be able to take bigger prey items which gives them more feeding options. This also means they are less likely to be a snack for smaller predators. Their chance of survival in the big wide heathland ecosystem is promising. This is the first of a three year release program which, based on the evidence of many years of sand lizard translocations carried out by ARC, will ensure that the sand lizard population has the best possible chance of success. If you are interested in volunteering for ARC in the Weald please contact Bryony Davison bryony.davison@arc-trust.org or phone 07388 948868.
New record in Dorset By Nick Moulton - Reptile Conservation Officer We have some great news from our colleagues at Dorset Council! A female sand lizard has been spotted at Black Heath near Dorchester, meaning this site is now home to all six UK reptile species. It is believed this individual has naturally colonised from an adjacent site where ARC and partners have recently completed a programme of sand lizard reintroductions. Find out more about our work to conserve sand lizards at www.arc-trust.org/saving-sand-lizard
Female spotted on site © Daisy Meadowcroft.
What’s new with the ARC crew? By Angela Reynolds - Editor ARC continues to grow as we leap in to the second half of the year. We welcome Fiona Hayes as she replaces Ralph Connolly to become part of the Wealden Field Team as Field Officer. Fiona has worked previously for Surrey Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation. George Mee has taken up the role of Monitoring Dragons Project Officer on a short term contract in South Wales. George will be joining the Connecting the Dragons team once the project ends, job sharing with Mark Barber, who has just started working part-time as Biodiversity Officer at Swansea Council. We have three new staff to introduce in Norfolk, currently working their socks off with the new Pool Frog Recovery Project. Dr John Baker leads the team as Pool Frog Recovery Project Manager alongside Ben King as Project Officer and Emily Jordan as Project Assistant. You can read all about what they have been getting up to on page 10. Rachael Maddison is our newest recruit and will be working alongside Dr Andrew Buxton and the Newt Conservation Partnership team to deliver compensation habitat for the great crested newt District Licensing scheme.
First taste of freedom © Mike Berwick.
And finally, it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to our Gems in the Dunes duo as the project comes to its end. Farewell Fiona Sunners and Andrew Hampson. We are so sad to be losing you. We hope we can work alongside you again in the future.
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Helping hand for Hurtwood sand lizards By Bryony Davison - Weald Field Officer & Volunteer Coordinator
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Citizen Science & Monitoring Alien Antics Understanding the drivers & ecological impacts of non-native newts in the UK By Ali North - University of Plymouth This Spring I was lucky enough to embrace my love of wading through ponds, scrambling through bramble and trudging through bogs, as I embarked on my first field season of my PhD. After eighteen months spent reading about and analysing data on European newts, I was excited to see some real life courtshipfrenzied, spotty-tailed amphibians. My location for the Spring was a network of ponds found within gardens, farms and privatelandholdings in the Ceredigion region of Wales. My aim was to begin to understand the potential consequences of a non-native introduction. Here, the distribution of three species had been mapped several years prior by colleagues at ARC Trust; the humble Palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus), the frilly-tailed Smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) and the rather jazzy greyblue and orange Alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris.)
Citizen Science & Monitoring
Alpine newts are naturally found across mainland Europe but a growing number of established populations are now being reported across the UK. Our understanding of this species as a threat is in its infancy and my research aims to understand the drivers and ecological impacts of their spread. Alpine newts have been associated with the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (a pathogen known for it’s detrimental impacts on amphibians across the globe) and could be effective competitors and predators of native amphibians. Anecdotal reports from across the UK are however indicative of context dependent consequences – some amphibian populations appear to be coexisting whilst others appear to be negatively impacted by this invasion.
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My research is utilising a range of approaches from across population, spatial, molecular ecology and social science to begin to understand the conservation relevance of this invasion. With the field season complete for the year I’ll be diving into lab and statistical analyses and I look forward to sharing the results of my PhD as they emerge. An understanding of the current spread of alpine newts will further aid this research and I’d be grateful to receive any new reports of this species via email alexandra.north@plymouth.ac.uk.
Photo above right: Female alpine newt. This photo: Male alpine newt © Ali North.
This project is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Advanced Research and Innovation in the Environmental Sciences (ARIES) doctoral training partnership and is a collaboration between the University of Plymouth, ARC and ZSL Institute of Zoology.
Citizen Science & Monitoring Natterjack toads and coastal erosion By Yvette Martin - Amphibian Conservation Officer Coastal erosion is going to continue to put pressure on sites accommodating natterjack toads in future years as the land they inhabit will inevitably become submerged permanently. As a coastal reserve, Sellafield is vulnerable to the effects of climate change and sea level rise. Yvette Martin, ARC’s Amphibian Conservation Officer, is making plans to give Sellafield’s resident group of toads a much needed helping hand. To many, Sellafield is associated with nuclear power, nuclear fuel and the decommissioning of nuclear waste and has slightly sinister connotations, but to the residents of West Cumbria, Sellafield is an economic hub, bringing a vital source of income into the area helping the local economy to thrive. Very few people would associate the name Sellafield with nature conservation and even fewer would recognise it as a home to one of Britain’s rarest amphibians, the natterjack toad. Natterjack toads were first recorded at Sellafield back in the 1970’s (Banks & Luxmoore. 1987) when they were noted breeding in pools east of the railway line (Beebee & Buckley. 2014). Unfortunately, these pools were lost to development, but to mitigate against this, the owners of the land (British Nuclear Fuels - BNF) created a new pool in a small parcel of old dune promontory seaward of the railway line. In 1985 after a number of planning applications, BNF engineered a new reserve designed specifically for the natterjack toad. The reserve was the first of its kind, and contained a series of a man made pools fed from a beck. Sluices allow the pools to be filled with water just in time for the natterjack breeding season in April, while the pools, dry in February and March, prevent breeding by other amphibian species that outcompete natterjack toad tadpoles. The reserve still exists today, and it is managed by ARC. The breeding pools have been monitored annually as part of the national monitoring programme and it is with great thanks to a number of dedicated residents, including Mark Hampton and Les Robertson, that we have a good understanding of how natterjack toads use the site. Most recently, the reserve has seen a number of changes; increased tidal activity has eroded the small area of dune thus destroying a section of The English Coastal Path, which through necessity now passes through the reserve. The reserve is looking a bit sad during this period of change, stock fences are down, the vegetation tall and not typically what you would expect on a natterjack nature reserve. ARC are working closely with the land agent at Sellafield and with Natural England to address these issues; we hope that when you next return to the site the sward will be much shorter and the pools free of vegetation, allowing natterjack toads to breed happily once again. Photo top right: Natterjack toad © Chris Dresh (ARC). Middle left: Pools at Sellafield © Les Robertson (ARC).
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Policy Rethinking Nature Conservation in the UK – Starting in Dorset! By Paul Edgar - Senior Ecologist - Projects Since the creation of ARC’s predecessor, the Herpetological Conservation Trust, in 1989, wildlife conservation in the UK has seen regular changes, often driven by shifts in Government policy. Conservation is now changing again, not least because of Brexit, and ARC is busy planning how best to respond, both to new threats and to new opportunities. It will pay to be ready since the coming years are likely to see major transformations in legal protection (changes are already being proposed), planning policy, SSSI management, agri-environment schemes and monitoring. There will also clearly be a shift in emphasis away from the intensive management of individual sites and species to conservation on a landscape scale (at least in some areas). These efforts will aim to re-create and re-connect more wildlife habitat and introduce more natural and costeffective processes such as grazing to maintain it. As with all the other potential changes ahead this could have positive and negative connotations for amphibians and reptiles.
Adders and sand lizards can benefit from “FCS” on smaller sites © Chris Dresh (ARC)
Policy
The subject of habitat management could fill several Hop Gossips, but one area that many herp enthusiasts would like to see urgently improved – and soon - is the damage too often caused to amphibian and reptile populations. It is somewhat ironic that habitat management for conservation purposes can be a significant threat to widespread species such as the adder, particularly on smaller sites, and even adversely affects species such as the sand lizard and smooth snake. This is especially so when it is often the same management techniques, perhaps practiced less intensively in the past, and/or the natural processes that they mimic, that have meant that many of these same populations and their habitats existed in the first place. To guide both conservation policy and action, and reduce possible adverse consequences of management, ARC has long championed the need to be clear about the desired conservation outcomes and make sure the needs of species are given due regard. The concept of “Favourable Conservation Status” (FCS), enshrined in the Convention on Migratory Species (Bonn Convention) and the EU’s Habitats Directive, provides a tool that helps us define and describe what we are trying to achieve in conservation for key habitats and species and, importantly, why.
Despite the need to do so, there has been insufficient attention given by Government to defining such objectives, and consequently we have insufficient information on the current status of many species, and even less understanding of what this “favourable status” would look like for them. However, we have recently seen more enthusiasm in Government and its agencies, and in particular Natural England, for defining FCS for key habitats and species, and for seeing how this can be used to underpin a variety of conservation actions and applications. It is important in the context of the United Kingdom leaving the EU, to see this mechanism having a greater relevance that was framed within the European legislation. Indeed, we see this concept is now being considered more broadly than for European Protected Species alone, so it is likely that “FCS statements” for widespread species, like the common toad and adder, will be officially recognised in the future. This is good news as an FCS statement can articulate where a species should occur, how much habitat of a certain type and condition they need and even how many there should be for their populations to be considered “favourable” so that they remain viable into the future. When clearly defined, these aspirations can then help to inform all other work areas, from habitat management and agri-environment schemes to development mitigation and re-introduction programmes and to take forward some new key policy areas being proposed by Government. Monitoring will be vital to this process as it provides the data needed both to develop FCS statements and strategies in the first place and to improve and guide them in the future. This potential for ensuring that amphibians and reptiles are at last considered in all aspects of conservation policy and practice is clearly one of the opportunities mentioned above.
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Policy This concept, though, will become more powerful if we can use it to take into account the needs of multiple habitats and species together and to see how it can be applied at different scales from the national down to the local/ site level. Being able to do this will be one of the next big challenges for the conservation sector. Since this is a complex subject, pilot projects will be needed to explore ideas and methods before any changes are rolled out nationally. ARC (along with Bat Conservation Trust, Buglife, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Plantlife and the RSPB) is part of a partnership called ReThink Nature, a group of seven conservation organisation with a focus on conserving species. We have approached Natural England and with them and the National Trust are exploring how we might test this concept at a landscape level on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset – building on existing work that we and the partner organisations are already involved with, including the Dorset’s Heathland Heart project (which is part of the Back from the Brink programme supported by a significant grant for the National Lottery Heritage Fund), the new Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve in Dorset (https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/rewilding-projects/purbeck-heaths) and Natural England’s Favourable Conservation Status project. The aim of the project will be to trial the production of local FCS statements for key species before collaboratively working out joint aspirations and targets to ensure that they can all be effectively conserved and monitored on a much larger scale than previously attempted. Initially, ARC is putting forward the sand lizard and the adder as key herp species for the pilot project, but more will be added in due course. So how does this help us conserve species more effectively? When designing site management programmes it is often simplest to focus on the processes of management itself – i.e. since many heathland species depend on the natural activities of large herbivores, the re-introduction of grazing provides a valuable tool for habitat managers. However, through agreeing measurable conservation objectives for different species, and especially for the more grazing sensitive species, like reptiles, it becomes possible to consider how the management regimes contribute towards these multiple conservation objectives. Reptile populations have already been adversely affected on a number of individual sites where grazing has been introduced. The pilot study will look at how we can set different favourable levels at a landscape level and how this can be used to help direct and adapt management to cater for the needs of different species. We see this as particularly important in an area where most of the UK’s sand lizards and smooth snakes occur! Promoting the use of grazing animals, even pigs, while ensuring that FCS for reptile species is maintained, will be one of the key tests of the Purbeck NNR pilot project.
Sand lizard habitat suitability model for the Purbeck Heaths NNR, showing the increasing use of technology. The map was produced as part of the Snakes in the Heather project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
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Feature Pool frogs take a leap forward By Jim Foster - Conservation Director ARC’s Conservation Director, Jim Foster, explains how ARC is securing the future of our rarest amphibian thanks to a new government grant. In November 2020 we were delighted to hear that ARC had secured an award from the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund for a project on pool frogs in East Anglia. This project will allow us to enhance the conservation status of the pool frog, which is our rarest amphibian and indeed one of Britain’s scarcest animals. A recent review by ARC has indicated the species should be considered “Critically Endangered” in England, largely as it occurs at just two locations. Both those populations result from translocations undertaken by ARC and partners, after the species had gone extinct in the wild in the 1990s. It is very rare for a vertebrate to be reintroduced after going nationally extinct, and in the case of the pool frog we did this by importing animals from Sweden. You can read more about the background on our website, here: www.arc-trust.org/pool-frog The project has three broad strands. Firstly we will consolidate the existing pool frog population through captive rearing of tadpoles, restoring pool frog breeding ponds, and gaining a better handle on the status of those populations through intensive monitoring. Using experience from previous years, our captive rearing aims to take spawn from the wild and rear the resulting tadpoles past the stage where, in the wild, they would suffer high losses from predators. The animals will be released into the wild once they reach a good size, in July and August. We are recruiting a small band of volunteers to help with monitoring the wild populations and rearing tadpoles.
Feature
Secondly, the project will bring pool frog conservation to a wider audience. With such a rare and vulnerable animal, we obviously need to be careful about encouraging lots of people to see pool frogs in the wild, as that carries a risk of harm for example through disturbance. We can, however, raise awareness by other means, so the project involves the creation of professional videos, which we will put on our website. This will allow us to tell a wide range of people about pool frogs without the risk of compromising wild populations. The videos will also be used to train volunteers and professionals in future.
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Photo: top right: A pool frog completing metamorphosis. Photo above: An adult male pool frog, Norfolk © Jim Foster (ARC).
Thirdly, we will be planning for future reintroductions. Clearly with only two locations, the species remains at risk of extinction, and in any case we wish to see pool frogs at a wider range of sites across their former range. Therefore this element of the project will set out where we would like to see future pool frog populations, and will engage with landowners to discuss their willingness to help. We will also scope out how to scale up the production of pool frogs to allow these future reintroductions to take place. That in itself is complex as there are disease risk and management considerations that need resolving, which we will be doing through discussions with experts in translocations and captive management.
Ben King (left) and John Baker (right) surveying for pool frogs. © Jim Foster (ARC).
To achieve all of this we have employed three new members of staff. Emily Jordan, Ben King and John Baker are now working hard on pool frog recovery and I’m delighted to welcome them to ARC. The project will run until March 2022, and we will be working with a range of partners including Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Zoological Society of London, Forestry England and Natural England. The project builds on work we’ve done in recent years which has been funded by organisations including Anglian Water, National Lottery Heritage Fund, Anglian Water Flourishing Environment Fund managed by Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, and Amphibian Ark. ARC would like to thank Defra and National Lottery Heritage Fund for this fantastic opportunity.
Meet the team Ben King Project Officer
Emily Jordan Project Assistant
What attracted you to the project?
What attracted you to the project?
I am passionate about ex-situ conservation and reintroductions, and this project combines both these interests. It allows me to raise northern pool frogs in captivity to release individuals back to the wild, bolstering their populations, directly conserving and aiding in the recovery of this species. I feel very proud to be a part of it.
I’d heard about the Pool Frog project working with herps and reintroductions previously and was really keen to get involved. I think these kind of programmes are a great way to promote species recovery for wildlife conservation – and of course I love frogs!
Is there a typical day for you as Project Officer? No, tasks are varied and are constantly changing as the season progresses. They include setting up aquariums, monitoring the reintroduction sites, recruiting and liaising with volunteers and promoting the project through various media outlets (keep your eyes & ears open!) What do you love the most about pool frogs? I have always been attracted to smaller, more unusual species but am also incredibly driven to conserve species most at threat. Whilst the challenge is daunting, I also find it incredibly exciting.
Is there a typical day for you as Project Assistant? I currently help out with the field-monitoring and head-starting aspects of the project. We’ve been busy monitoring amphibian populations at the pool frog sites and preparing the headstarting unit ready to receive pool-frog spawn.
What do you love the most about pool frogs? They have such an interesting story behind them in terms of the debate as to whether they were native, and the dramatic loss of our wetland habitats. They’re also really beautiful frogs!
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Education
ARC’s new animated adder guide By Mark Barber - Connecting the Dragons Project Officer As the UK’s only venomous snake adders are often misunderstood. ARC has teamed up with television presenters, and ARC Patrons, Chris Packham and Iolo Williams to create a new fun and informative animated adder guide to help tell the real story of this elusive and endangered reptile. The adder is facing severe challenges in Britain, it is already thought to have gone extinct in some counties of England and is declining rapidly in Wales and Scotland. ARC is working locally and nationally, and in conjunction with partners, to try to turn around these declines. Please help us to save the adder by learning how to stay safe, helping others to understand why adders should be protected and by sending in your adder records to the Record Pool www.recordpool.org.uk.
Education
In ARC’s animated Adder Guide, Adam the Adder (voiced by Iolo and narrated by Chris) tells us some Awesome Adder Facts, when and where you might see an adder and Top Tips to keep people, pets and adders safe. Remember. Keep calm, no harm and #ThinkZigzag! The team have ensured that eighty bilingual weatherproof A4 adder signs have been delivered to partners across Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Swansea, Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan. Pull up banners featuring Adam the Adder have also been placed at suitable locations across South Wales. You can watch the video and download the guide and posters from the ARC website www.arc-trust.org/ news/new-animated-adder-guide. The ARC Adder Guide has been produced by ARC through our Connecting the Dragons project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and supported by The RS Macdonald Charitable Trust. The animation is by Tim Gent and storyboarding by Bethany Powell. The character and leaflet designed is by Lydia Harris a student at University of South Wales. The risk of being bitten by an adder is very low, and when it does occur there is effective treatment. Yet understandably many people have questions about the incidence of adder bite, how to treat it, and how to prevent it. In addition, people often enquire about the risk of adder bites to dogs. You can find an advice page with frequently asked questions on our website www.arc-trust.org/facts-andadvice-on-adder-bites.
In addition to this, ARC has also created a free Adder Photo Library offering online access to a selection of beautiful adder photos, as part of our efforts to try and protect the welfare of this sensitive species by reducing disturbance www.arc-trust.org/free-adder-photolibrary. 12
Photo top right: Adder © Chris Dresh (ARC).
Education Snakes in the Heather - Video lessons & Dates for your diary By Owain Masters - Public Engagement & Education Officer Snakes in the Heather, our flagship project to conserve the smooth snake, is now well into its second year. With COVID-19 restrictions easing we have started to plan a number of events to inform, interest and involve local communities in the conservation of heathland species, especially reptiles. We are looking forward to welcoming you to the following events. Heath Week. Saturday 24th July to Friday 30th July: Heath Week is a national celebration of dry lowland heath habitat. ARC will be running a number of events in Dorset to educate people about the importance of the nature of their doorstep and to deliver messages about the countryside code and bylaws. Many of these events will be suitable for families. Full details coming soon. ARC Children’s Book Launch. Saturday 09th October, Castleview Centre, Corfe: This event will showcase the children’s book, In Search of Old Uncle Blue, which has been produced as part of the project. The event will include a guest reading, an arts and crafts table and a book sale. This event is aimed at families. Full details coming soon. Photo: Mature male slow worm displaying blue patterning. Could this be Old Uncle Blue? © Chris Dresh (ARC).
Keep an eye on the ARC event pages for full details and please spread the word. www.arc-trust.org/ Pages/Events/Category/events. We hope to see you soon! At Amphibian and Reptile Conservation we know it is vital to inform, interest and involve the next generation in conservation of wildlife. With this in mind we have produced a series of video lessons for primary school aged children.
The video lessons explain what a reptile is and teach the names of all the wonderful lizards and snakes that live naturally in the UK. They then highlight UK reptiles as examples to revise concepts including habitats, food chains, how and why we group animals together, lifecycles and even why snakes evolved to lose their legs! They can be found in a playlist here: https:// tinyurl.com/SitHYouTube Please share the link with any teachers, cub leaders or other grown-ups who look after potential future herpetologists! 13
Projects Species on the Edge By Paul Kirkland - Coastal Treasures Project Development Officer Scotland’s coast and islands provide a refuge for some of our most beautiful and unusual, but most vulnerable, species. Species on the Edge is a partnership of eight organisations; NatureScot (formerly Scottish Natural Heritage), Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC), Bat Conservation Trust, Buglife, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Plantlife and RSPB. With support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we are developing a project to aid the survival of 40 species in seven landscapes around the coast. ARC is co-ordinating work in the Solway where the natterjack toad reaches its northern limit. It only has a tenuous foothold here and may be down to a few hundred adults, needing more breeding pools and better terrestrial habitat. Additional target species along the Solway include the northern brown argus butterfly (pictured above), purple oxytropis plant, chough and the extraordinary tadpole shrimp, only found within the UK here and in the New Forest in Hampshire. Threats facing these species include habitat loss and the impact of climate change on coastal habitats.
Other Species on the Edge project areas include the Outer and Inner Hebrides, Shetland and Orkney, where work is focussed on species such as great yellow bumble bee, slender scotch burnet moth, short-necked oil beetle, terns and the Scottish primrose.
Projects
The development phase finishes in September and we will then apply to the Lottery for additional funding for implementation over four and a half years. The project would aim to achieve much of its work through communities, empowering them to conserve their local heritage. Advice to achieve multi-species benefits will be developed for landowners, with events to demonstrate wildlifefriendly management techniques.
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For more information contact paul.kirkland@arc-trust.org or go to https://tinyurl.com/ naturescot-sote-project or www.arc-trust.org/coastal-treasures
Photo top right: Northern brown argus butterfly. Middle left: Natterjack toad pool on the Solway, Bottom left: Natterjack toad © Paul Kirkland (ARC).
Projects Gems in the Dunes - Leaving a legacy By Fiona Sunners - Gems in the Dunes Project Manager Since July 2017, we have been running the Gems in the Dunes Project on the Sefton Coast as part of the wider Back from the Brink programme. The aim of the project has been to help save some of England’s rarest wildlife from extinction, and involve people in the process. Our target species are natterjack toad, sand lizard, northern dune tiger beetle, petalwort, sea bryum and matted bryum, all sand dune specialists and declining as a result of dune succession. Activity has been a mix of habitat improvements and surveying, working with contractors and volunteers. Our volunteers have been amazing, clearing over 32,000m2 of scrub ( the size of 4 football pitches!), creating and rejuvenating 289 sand patches and improving 11 pools.
BEFORE MANAGEMENT
Photo top right: Sand lizard © Alex Hyde (GitD - Back from the Brink). Middle left and right: Scrub clearance before and after - achieved with help from volunteers © Fiona Sunners (ARC). Below left: Natterjack toad © Alex Hyde (GitD - Back from the Brink).
AFTER MANAGEMENT
We’ve co-ordinated 870 days of survey effort, ensuring all natterjack breeding pools are now regularly monitored, and with more eyes looking more often, we have more sand lizard records. Data collected at our coastal change workshop, combined with data from coastal engineers, provided an insight into how species will be affected by habitat loss as a result of coastal change. Discussions included what needs to be done to safeguard the species for the future as sea levels rise. Over 200 people have attended events out on the sand dunes, at local shows and museums and more recently online. Activities have included guided walks, slide shows, mini-beast hunts, family scrub removal days, arts and creative writing workshops. Our art and creative writing workshops have engaged with people who wouldn’t normally attend traditional events such as guided walks. Overall the project has had a positive effect, raising awareness and increasing involvement as well as providing more data on distribution and abundance. Management works have increased the amount of suitable habitat including bare sand and improved connectivity between pools.
Fiona during survey for natterjack toads with volunteers © Fiona Sunners (ARC).
Gems in the Dunes has been a great springboard for more much needed habitat work and engagement in the future to benefit these incredible dune species. Project Officer Andrew Hampson during guided walk at Altcar © Fiona Sunners (ARC).
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Events The Herpetofauna Workers Meeting 2021 By Anju Sarpal - Outreach & Communications Manager The Herpetofauna Workers Meeting 2021 welcomed 270 delegates in February, attracting our largest ever attendance. Attendees tuned in virtually this year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, to access a packed programme of twelve presentations, four workshops and eight lunchtime chatrooms.
The annual conference, in partnership with Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK (ARG UK), aims to offer the latest news on herpetofauna conservation and many networking opportunities. As the meeting is a key event in the annual herpetological calendar for sharing research and exchange views, our team was keen to capture as much of the live experience as possible. Despite not being able to meet face-to-face this year, the online conference brought some new advantages to content, enabling the use of polls, digital links to projects and QR code sharing of research, plus a wider selection of speakers presenting from across the UK and Europe. Lunchtime chatrooms enabled us to welcome additional partners to the event, highlighting more projects with ecologists, herpetologists, volunteers, consultants and students, both at home and abroad. Over the weekend delegates generated 4,481 chat messages on the live message boards, demonstrating a strong desire to network and discuss all things herpetofauna, despite not being in person, on an equal and fully visible basis. Attendees were also able to direct message other delegates and speakers instantly, creating another 200 conversations and connections. Delegates were also able to browse and shop at the stands in a virtual booths area and view research posters. The traditional evening’s entertainment also went ahead, enabling delegates to grab a drink and a pen for the return of the now infamous ‘Have I Got Newts For You’ quiz on the Saturday night.
Events
More importantly, the virtual platform enabled a more environmentally and economically friendly event and made it more inclusive, which in turn encouraged many new participants and a more diverse and wider geographically spread audience.
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We are delighted by the delegate feedback we have received, which has given us a great opportunity to review the way we include delegates in the future. Many thanks to our HWM 2021 sponsors.
Photo top right: ARC CEO Dr Tony Gent opening the conference © Dr Rob Ward (ARC). Middle right: Delegates attended the conference virtually © Celise Taylor. Bottom left: ARC’s Jim Foster & Dorothy Driver during their workshop © Steven Allain.
Fundraising JustGiving: Parley Common and Beyond By Atul Srivastava - Fundraising Coordinator
We would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has donated so far on our JustGiving page to raise funds towards ARC’s land purchase at Parley Common in Dorset. ARC became the proud new owners in June. We have raised over £151,000 so far through a combination of offline and online donations, and the page will remain open for donations: www.justgiving.com/campaign/ ParleyCommon Beyond the fundraising campaign for Parley Common, ARC’s JustGiving account will remain active so volunteer fundraisers can easily set up a page linked to ours: www.justgiving.com/amphibianandreptile
You are welcome to fundraise for ARC in any way you wish, such as sponsored runs, sponsored hops dressed as frogs, or perhaps even going for an amphibian or reptile related world record!
ARC Guardians By Atul Srivastava - Fundraising Coordinator ARC Guardians is our major giving club for individuals who are able and willing to donate £5,000 or more per year of unrestricted or core funding for ARC. Unrestricted donations are usually smaller than restricted grants for specific projects. However, increasing our unrestricted donations is essential for multiple reasons, such as flexibility, funding staff in gaps between project funding, and enabling ARC to gradually expand its impact. The first ARC Guardian joined the club in June 2020, making a major contribution to the financial sustainability of the charity. If you or someone you know are able and willing to join, find out more at: www.arc-trust.org/arc-guardians or email: guardians@arc-trust.org. Photo: Natterjack toad © Howard Inns.
Fundraising
By the end of 2021 we are looking for 10 volunteer fundraisers to have raised £1,000 each from their networks, including friends, family and company matched donations. The combined £10,000 would make a major difference to amphibians and reptiles, as well as other species that share similar habitats.
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Species Profile Purbeck mason wasp (Pseudepipona herrichii)
Purbeck mason wasp © Chris Dresh (ARC).
Appearance/Colour Between 9 and 11 mm in length. Black with ivory stripes and two distinctive orange patches on the abdomen. Four white spots on the thorax. Legs are mostly orange. Short tongue.
Behaviour & Breeding Solitary wasp. Males emerge from their winter diapause in early summer with the females emerging shortly after. Flight period is from June to July where mating, feeding, collection of Heath Button Moth (Acleris hyemana) larvae and creation of nest burrows take place. Adults feed on nectar from Bell Heather (Erica cinerea) by biting a hole in the base of the flower. Once mated, the females begin excavating a shallow nest burrow in areas of bare ground containing 1-3 brood chambers within it. Each brood cell is filled with a dozen or more larvae of the heath button moth before an egg is laid and the cell is sealed. When the nest burrow is completed, the female will seal it with a plug of moistened clay so that it is perfectly camouflaged. The males die after about 10 days, leaving all the work of excavating and provisioning to the females. Nest burrows are distinctive with a circular entrance and a characteristic granular spoil heap of excavated soil deposited nearby.
Species Profile
Purbeck mason wasp © Chris Dresh (ARC).
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Habitat/Where to find them Heathland, rich in early- to midsuccession Bell Heather (Erica cinerea) featuring exposed ground with a clay content and close to open water. Restricted in Britain to a handful of heathland sites, such as ARC managed Creech heath, in and around Purbeck, Dorset. Feeding on nectar © Chris Dresh (ARC). Declines in numbers are linked to a reduction in the area of lowland Status heathland. In addition, land-use Endangered. changes on the remaining Species “of principal importance for the heathland has resulted in a purpose of conserving biodiversity” reduction in the number of suitable under Section 41 (England) of the bare areas for nesting and Natural Environment and Rural appropriate heather swards for the Communities Act 2006. moth caterpillars.
Tail-Enders The eyes have it! The reptile edition
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Cryptic clues 1. I’m a smooth operator. 2. “Hello gardening friend, could you point me in the direction of some tasty slugs?” 3. Some folk may go green with envy at my beautiful spring colouring. 4. Nice day for a swim. 5. You may not see me as often as my name suggests. 6. Stay calm, no harm. Answers in the next issue of Hop Gossip!
Tail-Enders
Can you guess which reptile is giving you the eyeball below?
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Amphibian and Reptile Conservation is a national wildlife charity striving for a world where amphibians and reptiles are safeguarded for future generations. With over 30 years experience in the wildlife sector we are committed to the conservation of frogs, toads, newts, snakes and lizards and the habitats on which they depend.
To find out more or to support Amphibian and Reptile Conservation contact: Amphibian and Reptile Conservation 744 Christchurch Road Boscombe Bournemouth Dorset BH7 6BZ Tel: Email:
01202 391319 enquiries@arc-trust.org
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Become a Friend! Join Amphibian and Reptile Conservation today and help us give a voice to the UK’s amphibians and reptiles - saving species, improving habitats and enhancing lives in the process. It costs as little as £24 a year.
Join online: www.arc-trust.org/support Or call 01202 391319 (9:00am - 5:00pm, Monday - Friday)
Amphibian and Reptile Conservation is a Registered Charity: England & Wales number 1130188. Scotland number SC044097.
