Archives for January 2015

Inspired by Nature

January 30, 2015 by admin

^{Inspired by Nature is a themed Croak to entertain you with some of our favourite artwork based on nature and the outdoors. We hope it will stimulate you to get creative and produce something yourself. If you do and would like to share them with us, please post them on our Facebook page, Twitter account, or email us at info@froglife.org}

^{This months feature has been written by Rebecca Neal our Conservation Youth Worker on the Peterborough Green Pathways project.}

For this month’s Inspired by Nature, I have written a poem using alliteration, inspired by a frosty cycle ride into Peterborough. I am of course always looking out for nature even when wobbily-cycling for the first time in years, on a new bike, on a path very close to a river which is down a steep bank.

Alliteration is a stylistic way of writing that uses the same sound at the beginning of words; for example: she sells sea shells on the sea shore. Sometimes, the repeated sound is not at the beginning but wherever the word or sentence is stressed; for example: Lucy left her lion all alone in the lounge. It is not about the letter, but the sound; so in this sentence “I do not know why people don’t care about climate change” “not know” is alliterative but “climate change” is not.

Poets use alliteration to emphasise words and usually it’s only a few words that they chose as in this extract from The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe “And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain”. I have used it more for a bit of fun and to stretch my literary wings so have chosen to use the same letter for every word.

Why not have a go at writing an alliterative poem? You could email them to info@froglife.org, post them on our facebook page or write one in 140 characters and tweet us @froglifers

Fantastic Fen
Fieldfare flock, fan from frozen fruit;
Falcon feet, flash-follow flapping finch, for fast, fatal, feast.
From future foggy frosty fork, fuzzy fanged fox fades;
Frightened flushed formless furs, flee fearfully.
Forest fern-frame, flaunts fictive, flitting, frolicking, faerie fey-folk.
Feathered, forage food from Flora’s foliage fingers, fallen frigid.
Firm fluid foils flying fisherkings.
Flurried flakes flutter free, from faraway formation.

Croaking Science: The ecological value of urban ponds

January 30, 2015 by admin

A recent review by Dr. Chris Hassall from Leeds University marks an important step in a more strategic understanding of the importance of pond environments in an urban setting.

4056641136_b70fbd7489_b — Cristian Bortes, CC Flickr

The phenomenal pace of urbanisation including the large scale movement of people from rural areas towards towns and cities and the consequent expansion of such areas is one of the defining traits of recent decades and this is set to continue sharply in the near future. However, urbanisation also marks a progressive loss of biodiversity in those areas, with particular focus on freshwater habitats such as ponds, due to causes including invasive species, habitat degradation and water pollution. This 2014 paper presents a simple categorisation of urban pond types as well as an interesting review of studies that have investigated the biodiversity value of such habitats from across the world. Amphibians are one of the better studied groups in this category compared to other taxa and there are several listed studies that show the importance of urban ponds as habitat for amphibians, with the distance towards the centre of the urban area, lack of habitat connectivity and presence of fish all contributing to a decrease in amphibian species richness.

©Thomas Brown, Flickr — Thomas Brown, CC Flickr

The numerous and diverse roles of urban ponds include their ecological function, with good quality ponds acting as stepping-stones and refuges for wildlife species within a matrix of inhospitable built-up habitat, for water management and treatment, including SUD systems (sustainable urban drainage) and potential for bioremediation of pollutants using designed wetland systems for chemical filtering and equally, their social function as areas of traditional community interest, health and well-being and where conservation activities can become an integral part of the management (Hassall, 2014).

Meanwhile, the challenges for biodiversity in urban ponds remain both obvious and very significant, with salt and heavy metal pollution, in particular related to water run-off from road surfaces, as an important factor influencing the quality of the habitat for amphibian species. Invasive species are an ever increasing negative factor, with urban ponds often acting as gateways due to the proximity of humans including centres for plant and animal importation and garden centres which results in both deliberate and accidental introductions of exotic and sometimes invasive species of a very wide range, from bacteria and fungi to species of plants and vertebrates such as terrapins. The establishment of such species in favoured in urban freshwater systems by the high diversity of microhabitats as well as the artificial and often highly modified and simplified aspect of such area. Finally, pond loss at a regional and landscape scale, although it has slowed down and even has been reversed in parts of Europe including the UK compared to the 19^th and early 20^th century, continues to dramatically influence the value of such habitats in many parts of the world.

This review highlights the complex and diverse opportunities presented by urban ponds as areas of biodiversity importance, of numerous societal benefits, including water management, community health and appreciation as well as amazing educational facilities but also as the fact that overall they remain poorly studied and quantified. However, the proximity and accessibility of urban ponds to large numbers of people, as well as their replicated aspect across sometimes very large spatial scales, offers huge potential for citizen science projects where valuable datasets could be collected by members of the public in association with environmental NGOs and universities.

References:

Hassall, C. (2014) The ecology and biodiversity of urban ponds, WIREs Water, 1: 187–206. You can find a full version of the paper here: http://figshare.com/articles/The_ecology_and_biodiversity_of_urban_ponds/971394

Frozen Frogs

January 26, 2015 by admin

We all remember the birds in the cold. I know my mum swears they give her evils through the window if she’s late with the morning suet but how often do we spare a thought for the poor frogs over the winter time?

frozen frog

Generally our garden ponds are pretty quiet in winter. The plants don’t grow very much. Toads and most adult newts will be hanging out under logs, buried in mud or in compost heaps only to appear on the sunniest days (Click here for more advice on winter quarters in your garden for these animals). A few baby newts may overwinter in the water but most will have lost their gills in the autumn and returned to land. Many frogs however will be buried in the mud at the bottom of the pond breathing happily through their skin (how cool is that!?). They may occasionally also show themselves on warmer days.

So how can we make sure that our most treasured amphibian stays safe amongst the ooze?

Firstly, it is important to note that no matter what you do, some animals will die. Hopefully, by following these simple tips you can limit the numbers, but death is a fact of life and winter is often when animals are put to the greatest test. The majority of ponds won’t freeze solid even in the coldest weather. As long as your pond is more than 10cm deep, it should still contain liquid water at the bottom so you don’t need to worry that Kermit has found a new vocation as a novelty ice cube.

Prolonged freezing stops gases from moving in and out of the ponds and can lead to a lack of oxygen and build up of toxic gases as plants decompose. The best thing you can do about this is to clear any snow from the ice so light can reach the submerged plants and they can continue to produce oxygen. This will also make the pond easier to see and avoid for any young children (or carefree adults) making snowmen. You could also create a hole in the ice by leaving a pan of hot water to slowly melt through or leave a ball floating in the water. If you make the hole at the edge of the pond it has the added benefit of making drinking water available for other wildlife. I am sure it goes without saying, but please don’t put antifreeze or salt in the pond. It is also not a good idea to smash the ice as shards can damage your liner and the shockwaves can kill animals in the water.

So that’s it really. Clear the snow and make a hole and your frogs will stay comfortable and safe over the cold months. If you do find lots of dead frogs in your garden in the spring it is likely to be just winter kill, but do check out disease pages if you think it may be due to a disease and you can record this and send it to us through the Garden Wildlife Health project.

Make Volunteering One Of Your New Year Resolutions!

January 16, 2015 by admin

Mike with volunteer Nicole — Mike Dilger with volunteer Nicole

After all the food, drink and excesses of Christmas comes a common pledge to change something for the better in the New Year.

As well as the usual promises, Froglife is encouraging people to take up volunteering in 2015.

Well, this year why not make a New Year’s resolution that will not only benefit you but also make a difference to your community by becoming a volunteer. The great thing about volunteering is that it’s so varied and flexible you can always find something to fit in with your lifestyle.

Vanessa Barber Froglife’s London Dragon Finder Project Manager said “Volunteering is about much more than just helping people or supporting worthy causes; it’s also about doing things you enjoy, meeting different people, increasing your skills – and having fun.”

Vanessa continues “Anyone can get involved with volunteering – whatever your interests, whatever your circumstances. Whether you have plenty of spare time or hardly any, we can find the right voluntary role for you.”

If your New Year’s resolution is to get more active or involved in your local community, Froglife has the perfect solution for you. Froglife is looking for volunteers to help us protect reptiles & amphibians; conserve and enhance their habitats and raise awareness in your local community.

Pria Ghosh London Dragon Finder Volunteer said “Through volunteering for Froglife I’ve learned practical skills for wildlife conservation as well an understanding of amphibian conservation in the UK, while meeting some really great and interesting people from all over London. It’s been so much fun, very rewarding and it helps our frogs!”

There are lots of different ways you could give your time to help us! We aim to make volunteering with us as fun and rewarding as possible, so that you get as much out of it as the wildlife you are helping.

You don’t always need knowledge or experience to get started, and we can often tailor volunteering posts around your needs and interests whether it be practical work digging ponds, helping our education team on a session or using your IT skills to help improve our web presence.

For more info please click here

Archives for January 2015

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