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Eye Green Nature Reserve

The Dragon Finder App

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Written by Chloe Davey: Transforming Lives Trainee

As part of the Transforming Lives Project, the trainees and our wonderful volunteers collect data by participating in frequent reptile surveys. This data helps Froglife to keep a record of the different species residing on our three reserves. These include: Boardwalks Nature Reserve, Eye Green Nature Reserve and Hampton Nature Reserve.

We can’t be at all three reserves at the same time, but thanks to the Dragon Finder app, you can be a citizen scientist and help us by reporting what you see on your walks at our reserves. The Dragon Finder app also helps you to easily identify our reptile and amphibian species and is completely free to download!

Whilst doing a spot of maintenance at Eye Green, Trainee, Jade, was ecstatic to discover a rather large female common frog. Upon this magnificent discovery the other trainees rushed over in awe, after all who doesn’t love a frog? For the trainees she was a remarkable sight indeed as they were informed that there were no frogs on that particular reserve. This information was immediately reported on the Dragon Finder app, informing Froglife of the sighting and also everyone else who has downloaded the app.

The Dragon Finder app is great for nature enthusiasts. It can help you easily identify the many species of reptiles and amphibians in the UK. With a few questions about your sighting, the app can easily deduce what species you have spotted. You are then given the option to report your sighting, which helps inform us and other app users of the discovery. More information about the animal you saw is also provided by reading through a short yet fascinating description.

Sometimes what may be a common sighting for you may not be common for others. Keep that in mind the next time you make a discovery on your walk, you never know, your report may be more exciting than it seems!

Good luck readers, we look forward to your discoveries!

*Dragon Finder app data is also shared with the National Biodiversity Network and can be viewed on their online Atlas here. 

New Kick-Starter for a Career in Conservation

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We are thrilled to announce that thanks to National Lottery players, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded a £248,399 grant for our ‘Transforming Lives: Froglife Trainees’ project.

Our CEO Kathy Wormald, said: “this is a fantastic opportunity to encourage people from different backgrounds that are new to conservation into the sector.  We know that there are many barriers to people from lower socio-economic and diverse ethnic backgrounds and we hope that the Transforming Lives project will help to break these down and breathe new life into the conservation world.”

The project will be working with up to fifteen aspiring conservationists (aged 16+) over three years. Each year the trainees will complete a comprehensive nature conservation training programme to equip them with the knowledge, skills and experience required to work as a Reserve Warden.

Chantel Carr Froglife’s Reserve Warden and Trainer

The nature conservation sector is the least diverse sector out of all of the charitable sectors, and the UK cannot save nature unless we have the buy-in of all communities living here. Froglife is working hard to ensure the sector reflects the UK’s diversity.

These trainees will reflect those under-represented in the sector and the project will provide an opening for individuals from all backgrounds, cultures and identities. The trainees will be supported by our Reserve Warden and Trainer on all elements of reserve management including surveying for wildlife and land management duties. The trainees will spend a day a week at each of the three reserves that Froglife manages for wildlife in Peterborough; Hampton Nature Reserve, Boardwalks and Thorpe Meadows and Eye Green.

Hampton Nature Reserve

Drew Bennellick, Head of Land and Nature Policy at The National Lottery Heritage Fund says: “We are delighted to support The Froglife Trust on this exciting nature conservation training programme. Engaging young people in nature is a vital step in combatting our declining natural heritage, and it’s thanks to National Lottery players that we are able to fund important trainee programmes like this.”

This project will make two major contributions, it will encourage people from diverse communities to become more involved with wildlife and improve habitats in Peterborough. The trainees will relay nature conservation messages from a UK perspective to their communities and they will evidence that the conservation sector want to be inclusive. The traineeship will equip these trainees to be able to obtain employment within the sector and encourage other organisations to run similar schemes, further widening the diversity within the sector through employment, volunteering and engagement.

 

For more information please visit: www.froglife.org/transforming-lives-froglife-trainees/