A beginning and an end!

In the next 48 hours Amphibian and Reptile Conservation will be launching a brand new website! Keep an eye on www.arc-trust.org!

Once the new website is up and running we will no longer be posting via this blog. We hope to have a new e-bulletin feature on the new website very soon, but unfortunately this will mean you will have to sign up again via the website.

We hope you'll stick with us and continue to keep up-to-date with the latest ARC news!

Join ARC in tomorrow's State of Nature 'Tweet-a-thon!'

Following the release of the RSPB’s State of Nature report last week, ARC’s Jim Foster will be on Twitter tomorrow from 10:00 -11:00am for the State of Nature live ‘tweet-a-thon’. Tweet with your questions, interesting facts, photos and videos on frogs, toads and newts @ARC_Bytes using #naturesintrouble.

We all have a role to play. We will be highlighting ways to take action for nature and want lots of people to get involved! Follow developments at #naturesintrouble and read the report at www.rspb.org.uk/stateofnature

Amendment to last blog regarding RSPB's State of Nature Tweet-a-thon on Wednesday 29th May.  Please note that Jim Foster will be answering your questions on frogs, toads and newts from 10am - 11am (not 9am-10am).  Get your questions ready.  In the meantime follow progress on #naturesintrouble

Yesterday was a big day for nature.

For the first time ever, all of the UK's leading wildlife organisations joined forces to undertake a health check on nature & together we launched the State of Nature report with the help of Sir David Attenborough.
To celebrate this unique partnership, RSPB are hosting a tweet-a-thon on Wednesday 29 May from 9am-6pm. Using the hashtag #naturesintrouble, eight wildlife organisations will be taking part in this marathon event, each with one hour to answer your questions.
Organisations taking part along with Amphilbian and Reptile Conservation are BugLife, Kew, Butterfly Conservation, People's Trust for Endangered Species, Bumblebee Conservation, Wildlife Trusts and RSPB.
Jim Foster, Conservation Director for ARC will be hosting a session on frogs, toads and newts between 9am and 10am so please send in your questions and he will be happy to answer.
More details and a full schedule of the day will be posted on the RSPB blog shortly. In the meantime, follow #naturesintrouble on Twitter for the latest updates.

Ground-breaking "State of Naure" Report launched today!

The UK’s nature is in trouble.  For the first time ever all of the UK’s leading wildlife organisations have joined forces to undertake a health check on the state of the country’s nature.  RSPB will be publishing the “State of Nature” report today, pulled together by a coalition of leading conservation and research organisations, of which ARC is a partner.  This report is based on data gathered by an army of thousands of dedicated and passionate volunteers in their spare time.  The report makes it clear that we cannot save wildlife with nature reserves alone; there must be a change in the way we tackle this problem in the future, for both the environment and our own good.  All parts of society have a role to play, from farmers and conservationists, to politicians and business leaders, to the public.

The report will be launched tonight by Sir David Attenborough at the Natural History Museum in London.  It reveals that 60% of the species studied have declined over recent decades.  More than one in ten of all species assessed are under threat of disappearing.  This trend is mirrored in Surrey and across the south east of England.  ARC’s Matthew Dowse will be discussing this with BBC Radio Surrey at 8.05am this morning – tune in to hear more.

Catch up with the State of Nature Report on BBC Breakfast from 6am this morning where ARC’s Conservation Director, Jim Foster, will be on the sofa.  You can follow developments at #naturesintrouble and you can read the report at www.rspb.org.uk/stateofnature

A Barnstorming night of fundraising!

On Friday 22nd March Amphibian & Reptile Conservation staff had the pleasure of attending the launch night of Dominik’s Wildlife Fund at the Colbury Memorial Hall in Southampton.

Dominik Reynolds, who has just turned 13, has worked as a volunteer for the RSPB for the last four years. We were introduced at our ARC Friends Day held last year where he made an impression on all of us. I have never met such a passionate young person as Dom who lives and breathes wildlife and conservation. Dom has been making a name for himself all over the country by speaking at conferences, on the radio, writing articles and representing the RSPB at Number 10 Downing Street spreading the conservation message and becoming a voice for young conservationists in the UK.

Dom set up his Wildlife Fund to raise money for deserving charities and conservation groups over future years.  In 2013 the two charities he has decided to spend a year fundraising for is RSPB and ARC.

The launch night barn dance was the first of the fundraisers to take place and an entertaining night was had by all! Our CEO Dr Tony Gent and his wife Jenny enjoyed barn dancing the night away to the band Murphy’s Lore who were great at getting everyone up to their feet and teaching them the dances. The raffle was popular and the prizes included days out, wildlife themed gifts and pictures donated by Chris Packham who inspired Dom to set the fund up.

I would like to thank Dominik and his Mum Kerry who put so much hard work and energy in to the evening which was a great success. Well done!

Richie Johnson, Gary Powell, Angela Reynolds and Tony Gent with Kerry and Dominik Reynolds

Vacancy for a Scottish Project Officer

ARC has secured funding from Scottish Natural Heritage for a new three year project focusing on developing wider involvement in Scottish Amphibian and Reptile Conservation.  This is a full time, three year post and will be based at Caledonian Conservation in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire.  Salary £21,000 p.a. 
Applications are invited from people with a good knowledge of herpetofauna and excellent interpersonal skills.  Demonstrable experience working on herpetofauna conservation in Scotland and in particular with the voluntary sector will be a considerable advantage. 
Go to www.arc-trust.org/jobs for full details of the vacancy, job description, person specification and application form.  Closing date 28th March 2013.  Interviews to be held on 12th April 2013 in Hamilton.

Make CAP Count!

If there’s one single thing that has shaped the UK’s countryside over the last 50 years, it's the EU's Common Agricultural Policy.

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is the EU-wide system of payments to farmers and land managers worth over £3 billion a year in the UK.

The Wildlife Trusts believe the CAP must be radically reformed to protect and restore the ecosystems on which people and wildlife depend. Linking payments from the CAP to environmental measures, such as creating flower-rich field margins for insects and farmland birds, would help restore nature across the UK.

On 13 March 2013, the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have an historic opportunity to reform the CAP. As our elected representatives in Brussels, it is vital that MEPs hear the voice of their constituents and make the CAP count for a Living Landscape.

Send a message to your MEP to vote for farming that supports nature:

**CLICK HERE!**

This campaign is supported by the following organisations in the UK:

South West Regional Amphibian and Reptile Groups' Meeting 2013

Scaling up support

Cornwall to host amphibian and reptile conference

Supporters of frogs, toads, newts, snakes and lizards will be gathering in Cornwall on Sunday 3rd March for a South West regional meeting of Britain’s Amphibian and Reptile Groups.

Staged at Cornwall College Newquay, the conference is being organised jointly by the Cornwall Reptile and Amphibian Group (CRAG) – a specialist group within Cornwall Wildlife Trust – and the College’s Student Invasive Non-Native Group (SINNG).

Conserving adders is high on the Amphibian and Reptile Groups’ agenda.
Taken by Jack Perks Photography

The programme promises a lively mix of presentations on local, national and global conservation issues. Topics include Cornwall’s rare sand lizards, latest results from SINNG’s studies of non-native amphibians in the county, and a report on the current status of adders in the UK.

Delegates will also draw inspiration and ideas from research as far afield as Spain and Tanzania to help conserve species closer to home. Practical guidance will be given on recording systems and on biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of diseases through fieldwork

There will be lighter moments, including a session entitled ‘Adam, Eve and Hissing Sid’, as well as time for informal discussion.

“One of the best things about Amphibian and Reptile Group meetings, nationally and regionally, is that they give people a chance to encourage each other’s efforts and share information", says CRAG Co-ordinator Mark Nicholson.

“Most of those who attend will be members of the various county ARGs, which together make up ARG UK. We’re a close-knit community of specialists and we work very effectively together to make sure these creatures get their fair share of conservation effort.”

The event’s sponsors are environmental consultancy companies CGO Ecology Ltd and Herpetologic Ltd, as well as the College itself.

Anyone interested in attending is asked to contact Pete Mycock at newtpete@hotmail.co.uk for details.

Draft Survey Protocols for the British Herpetofauna

Survey Protocols for the British Herpetofauna Over the last two years a range of interested parties, including statutory bodies, NGOs (including ARC-Trust and ARG UK), academics and commercial practitioners have been examining survey protocols for amphibians and reptiles. A series of workshops was held around Great Britain between spring 2011 and spring 2012. This enabled the latest scientific research to be disseminated to those in the field, whilst field practitioners in turn flagged up areas where they considered further research and guidance was needed. The draft protocols that resulted from these workshops are now available and there will be a brief period of consultation whilst comments on the proposals are invited. These should be made to Dr David Sewell, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, Marlowe Building, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NR or e-mailed to D.L.Sewell@kent.ac.uk to arrive no later than 27th December 2012.

Download the Draft Proposals here

ARC Professional Training Courses 2013

We are pleased to announces our professional training programme for 2013, conducted in partnership with the Field Studies Council. To see more details about these courses download the brochure here. All bookings for these courses are taken by the Field Studies Council. To register and pay online, please visit the FSC website.

The six courses available are:

Great Crested Newts & Licensing for Surveys
INTRODUCTORY LEVEL 

28th March 2013 AND 3rd April 2013

Working with Natterjacks: understanding their ecology, surveys and licensing
INTRODUCTORY LEVEL

25th April 2013

Lives of British Amphibians: ecology & identification
OPEN TO EVERYONE:

11th -12th May 2013

Reptile Surveys
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL:

15th May 2013

Reptiles & Amphibians
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL: ACCREDITED BY MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY

17th - 20th May 2013

Great Crested Newts, Licensing & Mitigation
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL:

26th - 28th November 2013

WELSH DRAGONS ATTRACT HUGE INTEREST!

The recent Wales Amphibian and Reptile Symposium (WARS) and Wales and the Marches ARG Meeting was a hugely successful event, attracting  seventeen speakers and seventy five individuals from a range of backgrounds, including ARGs, ecological consultants, county council ecologists and academics.

The event was organised by Mark Barber, through ARC’s Community Engagement in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Across Wales project, which is funded by CCW. It was held at the centrally located Media Resource Centre in Llandrindod Wells, on Saturday the 3rd of November. A range of enjoyable talks focussed on the enormous variety of work being undertaken for amphibians and reptiles in Wales – from modelling newt distribution to reconnecting populations through building ponds! It is hoped this event will encourage further action for the conservation of Welsh herpetofauna by boosting ARG activity and by inspiring the creation of new ARGs. A proceedings to the symposium will be released in due course.

ARC Christmas Cards

ARC once again have some brilliant and original Christmas cards for sale!

You can either purchase a set of eight cards including four herpafauna themed designs created by Leon Hills (author/illustrator of How Very Very Nice! and And After That He Ate Them!) for £3.50 (plus £1 p&p)

or a set of five cards featuring a design by our own Research & Monitoring Officer, Dr John Wilkinson for £2.50 (plus £1 p&p).

 If you would like to purchase some of these lovely cards please contact us via e-mail at enquiries@are-trust.org or call us on 01202 391319.

For more information about Leon Hills work please e-mail Lhillsillustrator@btinternet.com

ARC Stocking Fillers!

It's almost that time of year again, when we start to think about Christmas gifts. How about treating the Herpafauna enthusiast in your life (or yourself for that matter!) to some of our lovely stocking fillers. This way they can show their support to ARC and know that they have helped fund our valuable work protecting the UK's native amphibians and reptiles.

ARC Pin Badge - £1.50 (plus £1 p&p)

ARC Lanyard - £2.00 (plus £1 p&p)

ARC 100% Cotton Bag - £2.50 (plus £1.50 p&p)
Fairtrade accredited, ethically audited, carbon neutral factory and hand washable
37.5cm x 43cm

**SPECIAL OFFER**

If you choose to buy all three of our ARC stocking fillers we will give you a special discounted price of £5.00 (plus £1.50 p&p) for the whole bundle!

If you'd like to purchase some of these lovely gifts please contact us via e-mail at enquiries@arc-trust.org or call us on 01202 391319.

First phase of the Million Ponds Project is a success!

The first phase of the Million Ponds Project, funded by the Tubney Trust and Biffaward, has reached a successful conclusion.

The project, coordinated by Pond Conservation and involving Amphibian and Reptile Conservation as the lead partner, has helped to create over 1000 ponds to benefit Biodiversity Action Plan species across England and Wales. Over the past four years the project has:

• focussed attention on the variety of freshwater habitats needed by these species.
• highlighted the importance of pond design.
• raised awareness of the value of temporary ponds.

A wide variety of water bodies has been created by the Million Ponds Project, from large ponds designed for water voles, to shallow temporary pools on sand dunes designed for the natterjack toad.

Amphibian and Reptile Conservation’s role in the project has been to help create ponds for the natterjack toad, common toad, great crested newt and grass snake. This has been a great success, with over 467 ponds created for the great crested newt and 47 for the natterjack toad. This is perhaps one of the most successful efforts to create such ponds in recent years.

David Orchard, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation’s Pond Project Officer, said “We know that amphibians need good terrestrial habitats, but without suitable breeding ponds they are unable to survive. The Million Ponds Project has been an opportunity to support amphibian populations across England and Wales in a very practical way.”

Another important achievement of the project has been to increase general understanding of the importance of clean water, the essential component of good quality ponds. (Clean water is that which is not contaminated by runoff from roads or agriculture or excessively disturbed, for example by artificially high numbers of birds.)

The project has produced a huge range of material which is free to download from the Pond Conservation website.

The Million Ponds Project is a fifty year vision with the aim of ensuring the UK has at least one million ponds in the landscape, approximately the same number that existed in 1900. Work over the past four years has been the first step towards this ambitious target, providing a firm foundation for the future.

David Orchard
Pond Project Officer

ARC Friends Day 2012!

On Saturday 15th September Amphibian and Reptile Conservation held the first dedicated Friends Day in Dorset since becoming Amphibian and Reptile Conservation in 2009. We had 14 attendees, some travelling from as far afield as Wales and Suffolk to come and meet species they hadn’t seen before! 

Dr Tony Gent, ARC’s C.E.O kicked off the day with an introduction to Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, what we get up to and media coverage of snakes - especially the adder and how it has suffered through history with a bad reputation. Gary Powell, Senior Reserves Manager followed with his presentation on Reptiles and gave a run- down of our native species, how they behave and how they use their habitats and just before lunch John Buckley, Amphibian Conservation Officer talked about our native amphibians including the extensive work he has done over the years with Natterjack toads. After a quick tea break Gary went on to describe how we manage the heath to benefit herpetofauna and what would happen if the management didn’t take place.

Over the lunch break we had a grass snake, two smooth snakes, two slow-worms and three sand lizards to introduce to everybody. For some it was their first experience of seeing a smooth snake in the flesh and they were surprised at just how smooth and silky they were to touch! The sand lizards were also a rare treat for some - many thanks to Martin Noble of New Forest Ecological Consultants for lending us the two captive bred sand lizards!

Before long we had the snakes and lizards bagged up and we made our way on to Parley Common. Gary did a great job showing everybody round pointing out areas of interest such as potential hibernacula. One of my highlights was the release of a rescued sand lizard which had been found on site a couple of days earlier and had been trapped in some scrapped scaffolding for up to two months. After a good meal of crickets the night before, he reluctantly left Gary (minus part of his tail) to fatten himself up before going in to hibernation!

The sun was very hot in the afternoon so it wasn’t ideal for spotting reptiles out in the open but we did find some under tins and some common lizards basking in the gorse. Heathland is full of wildlife and whilst we made our way around the reserve to put our snakes and slow-worms back under their tins we saw buzzards, stonechats, caterpillars, butterflies, spiders, grass hoppers and heathland plants such as the marsh gentian and sundew and these attracted just as much attention!

It was a superb day and I really enjoyed meeting and speaking to everyone. Many thanks to those who came along to enjoy the day with us, to the staff members that put their time in and to John Hanrahan - Manager of the Heatherlands Centre.

You can watch the film about the day by clicking here!

Angela Reynolds

Rare Sand Lizards Released Back to the Wild at Farnham Heath

Today [Monday 17 September] conservationists are giving the UK's rarest lizard a helping hand, when 40 captive bred sand lizards will be released at the RSPB’s Farnham Heath nature reserve.

The release is the start of a long-term conservation project to restore the species to this part of its historic range.

The RSPB is working with Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (ARC) and Natural England, the Government conservation authority, to safeguard the future of these magnificent lizards.

Due to vast habitat losses across the UK, sand lizards now only occur naturally in Surrey and Dorset where it lives on sandy heathland, and further north in Merseyside where it is confined to coastal sand dune systems.

Sand lizards are believed to have been lost from the Farnham Heath site when the land was planted up with a commercial conifer crop after the Second World War.

Since 2004 the RSPB has restored over 70 ha of heathland at Farnham Heath and much of this is now in a suitable condition to support this beautiful animal once again.

Mike Coates, the RSPB site manager for Farnham Heath said: “There have always been sand lizards present on Gong Hill, which is next to our reserve, but they were confined to a very small pocket of suitable habitat.
 
Once our heathland restoration work started to take effect, they did spread onto our land west of Old Frensham Road. However, even minor roads can act as a barrier, and, despite searching, there was no sign of them on the remainder of our reserve, east of the road.
 
So we decided that we should use animals from the ARC's on-going captive breeding programme, to establish a second population on the eastern part of the reserve.”

ARC, under licence from Natural England, maintain a captive breeding population of animals, originally drawn from sites in Surrey, to provide a source of young lizards that can be re-introduced to areas where suitable habitat has been created.

Rob Free, from ARC said: “The superb restoration and management of the Farnham Heath site has allowed good recovery of many of our native heathland species.

It has also allowed us this opportunity to help restore the sand lizard’s former historic range through this joint partnership re-introduction. We believe this has every chance of success as the site is very well managed to cater for all heathland species and is ideal for this particular species’ habitat requirements.”

This is the start of a three year project, with further releases of 40-50 juvenile lizards planned for each autumn.

The UK’s largest lizard, reaching up to 20cm in length, sand lizards are active from late March through to late October; with the males emerge from hibernation first followed by younger animals then females.

Mike Coates added: “During the breeding season the male's sides become highly coloured, with some individuals turning almost completely bright green.
 
We hope they will thrive here at Farnham Heath, and that visitors might be able to glimpse the spectacular males basking alongside paths in years to come.”

Annual ARC-BHS Scientific Meeting - December 2012

The programme for the extremely popular joint scientific meeting of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and the British Herpetological Society has now been finalised!

The meeting will take place on Sunday 9th December, from 9:30am to 5:00pm and will be held at the Bournemouth Natural Science Society.

Registration closes on Friday 23rd November. This event is always oversubscribed so book now to avoid disappointment!  For more details and to register for the meeting please download the flyer HERE

Jim Foster joins ARC as Conservation Director

Jim worked on the Froglife Common Species Project from 1994-9. That post supported the emerging ARG movement, and provided guidance for herp workers across a range of sectors. From 1999 to 2011 Jim was the national amphibian and reptile specialist at Natural England. There he worked on a range of conservation issues including legislation, surveillance and species recovery – often in collaboration with partners such as ARC. After taking voluntary redundancy last year, he’s been doing consultancy and supporting local conservation projects.

As Conservation Director, Jim hopes to expand ARC’s capacity to deliver major gains for herps. “It’s an exciting time to join the ARC team,” he says. “There are plenty of changes afoot: some major shifts in the way government works on biodiversity, and a hefty review of wildlife legislation, to name but two. ARC is well-positioned to influence all these initiatives, so I’m delighted to be helping with that. And of course, it’s fantastic to be working with site management colleagues who keep herp hotspots in top condition.” He’s looking forward to being a passionate advocate for herps, working in co-operation with landowners, volunteers, recorders, scientists, government agencies and other conservation organisations.

A FEW PLACES STILL LEFT ON ARC’S POPULAR “GREAT CRESTED NEWTS, LICENSING AND MITIGATION” COURSE!

This course will run in 27th-29th November in collaboration with the Field Studies Council and Jim Fairclough, Senior Ecologist with Golder Associates. It is aimed at those ecologists with knowledge and experience of great crested newt survey techniques but limited experience of licensing and mitigation projects. It will include case-study, syndicate exercises, sites visits and demonstration techniques to help participants understand licence application and mitigation projects. It will include completing the Natural England method statement (WML-A14-2) and cover in depth the best practice protocols to approach mitigation.

For more details and to book, please visit the Field Studies Council website.