Froglife

Leaping forward for reptiles and amphibians

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Archives for September 2021

Froglife’s role at COP26: The world’s last, and best chance to get climate change under control.

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The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021.  Many believe this is the world’s last, and best chance to get climate change under control.  Each day 8 NGOs from around the world have been invited to have a stall in the Green Zone of the event that delegates and members of the public can visit.  Froglife is honoured to have been selected as one of these organisations and will be attending on Monday 1st November.

We want to share this opportunity to have our voice heard by asking you to send us your messages for world leaders 

What is it?

COP26 is the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Glasgow in November 2021. COP comprises 197 countries (known as parties) which signed the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convent on Climate Change) in 1994. COP member countries are encouraged to set ambitious climate targets in order to combat climate change. At COP26 these targets will be reviewed and debated, and decisions made on what actions need to be taken.

Why is it important?

COP26 is important because it facilitates a global assessment of the climate crisis, and monitors the climate actions (or lack thereof) of member countries. It is also an opportunity to inspire climate action both amongst world leaders and the general public, and enables new solutions to be discussed and debated.

What is Froglife doing?

Climate change poses a huge threat to amphibians and reptiles.  The UK Government must set binding targets to keep global temperature rises to below 1.5°C.  Froglife, in collaboration with The British Dragonfly Society, is one of a few organisations that have been selected to run an Exhibition Stall in the Green Zone on November 1st. The aim of our stall is to highlight the importance of ponds as carbon sinks and for biodiversity, and encourage people to take action by creating their own garden ponds.

Our stall will be created from sustainable materials.  We will offer a model pond activity using re-purposed containers filled with water, and a selection of pond props which attendees can use to create ‘good’ and ‘bad’ wildlife ponds. We will have a third mini-pond filled with your messages which people can ‘pond dip’ for.  These messages will also be displayed on screens at the event and with participants accessing the event online around the world.

In addition to our pond activities, we will be highlighting the issues of habitat fragmentation and road mortality using our VR video of a toad trying to migrate to its breeding pond.

Your messages to world leaders

We want you to send us your messages to share with world leaders and participants from around the world at COP26, so we can help make their voices heard. The messages can be any comments, opinions or ideas you have relating to climate change.  Messages featuring amphibians and reptiles and their habitats are encouraged!

What our animals are doing this month….

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The smooth newt is the most widespread newt in the UK; they are a common garden species and can often be found breeding in garden ponds. They look very similar to palmate newts, but can be distinguished by their spotted throat and the male’s subtle, wavy crest.

By early October smooth newts have left their breeding ponds and moved onto land. They will now eat as much as they can, foraging for invertebrates such as insects, slugs and worms to build up their winter reserves. In between foraging they can be found sheltering in safe spots such as under wood piles or rocks.

By mid-late October smooth newts will begin to overwinter. They will choose warm, sheltered overwintering sites such as hibernacula or compost heaps, or simply bury themselves into the mud in a quiet area. They will remain dormant in this spot for most of the winter, occasionally coming out to forage on milder days. As they have these short periods of activity, this isn’t strictly classed as hibernation, but is known instead as brumation.

A smooth newt exploring its terrestrial habitat.

Transforming Your Garden into a Frog Paradise.

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(Many thanks to Jennifer Dawson for this guest blog!) 

According to a recent survey, the number of frogs spotted in domestic gardens has fallen by 17% since 2012.  Frogs consume a large amount of insects, in particular mosquitoes, which can transmit illness to humans, and frogs also keep garden pests under control. Frogs (including their eggs and tadpoles) in turn are a source of food to other wildlife, such as birds, beetles and dragonflies – they are an essential animal in our precious ecosystem. Providing a space for frogs in your garden will help them to thrive. With the right planting, and of course a pond or water source, your garden can become a safe haven for frogs. 

Grasses and lawn 

Your lawn may look nice clipped back short, but by leaving your grass longer, it can provide frogs with the perfect place for foraging and shelter. Creating a nature-friendly lawn is easy – don’t mow the grass so often and encourage the wild flowers. It is also extremely important that you don’t use any pesticides or fertilizers that have harmful chemicals in them. Commercial weed killers will kill off the insects and pollinators that are not only essential to the environment, but also provide a valuable food source to frogs. Mixing up several different species of grass seed will help to cultivate a variety of flowers, attracting many different creatures. 

Frog shelters

During the day, frogs stay out of harsh sunlight to avoid becoming dehydrated. At this time they will retreat to the shady and damp areas of your garden. You can help them by creating shelters around your garden for them to hide in. An upturned terracotta flower pot propped open with a stone, makes the perfect frog housing. You could also arrange a pile of stones into a small cave, and cut back the bottoms of any bushes or hedges so that frogs can find shelter underneath. 

Plants and water sources

Frogs don’t drink through their mouths, unlike many animals. Instead they absorb moisture through their skin. This is why it is essential that they have a permanent water source in your garden. A small wildlife pond is always a good option. You could also place several smaller containers of water in the shady areas of your garden for frogs to sit in. Submerged plants in your pond make additional shelter and will attract frogs, The plants also absorb excess phosphorus and nitrogen. Water Violet, Rigid Hornwort and Spiked Water Milfoil are good choices for a garden pond and require little assistance in growing. Marginal plants like Water Mint will provide an access point for frogs to enter the water. 

The number of frogs found in gardens has fallen and will continue to do so if we don’t provide them with suitable habitat. If we want them to survive, we need to help frogs by creating a safe haven for them in our gardens. 

 

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