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Work Experience Week

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Written by work experience student Ellis Armfield. 

I am an A Level student who is lucky enough to have the opportunity to partake in a weeklong work experience placement with Froglife. As an aspiring wildlife conservationist, this placement was perfect for me and through it I gained invaluable experience and knowledge of the conservation sector, whilst meeting inspiring people and gaining practical skills. I’m extremely grateful to have had this opportunity and I have learnt so much. I want to thank everyone who I have spoken to and most of all Amy who has been my placement coordinator and without her I wouldn’t have had this valuable experience.

 

My week

Monday 26th June:

For my first day I went to Banstead Beds community garden in Clapham Common. There was a community atmosphere, and the space was bursting with fruits and vegetables.

In our Wild Times session, I worked with a lovely group of dementia patients sampling water from the wildlife pond and testing it for things such as PH. We also used challenging, but fun, equipment to preserve a sample to be sent off and tested for DNA to show what species the pond has in it.

Everyone got involved and challenges such as putting on gloves and using equipment were overcome with teamwork an encouragement. It was great to see the group enjoying the fresh air and trying something new, as well as giving me the opportunity to work with an age group I hadn’t had much experience with previously. Afterwards we all sat down and had a nice chat and I remember Richard saying “we had a smashing afternoon” with a great big smile. Knowing I had made a difference to him made my day.

 

Tuesday 27th June:

On Tuesday I went to Lewisham hospital gardens. Despite being only a year old the beautifully designed gardens have many plants growing from trees to wildflowers and many fruits and vegetables.

I helped with general tasks, thinning out and replanting lettuces, watering and picking radishes. While I was gardening, I spoke with volunteers from the local community, showing me how much of a positive impact the gardens have had.

I also had a chance to speak to the project manager Alice, who told me about her role in the project and working for RHS as well as plans for further projects similar to this one. There is an idea of putting a wildlife pond in the gardens too and I was able to have a chat with a health and safety officer regarding implications of putting a wildlife pond in a public space. This made me think about legal aspects of conservation which can often be a major barrier.

Afterwards, Amy showed me the nearby newly planted ‘Tiny Forest’ which I had never heard of before and was enthused by such a great conservation idea to boost biodiversity in such a small space and within urban areas. Seeing so many community-integrated conservation projects has really showed me how much the local community wants to get involved and how essential this is to the project’s success.

 

Wednesday 28th June:

I had no sessions booked in so used this time to write this work experience blog as well as writing up a few social media posts.

I also had a zoom call with Kelvin, a manager of another project at Froglife called the ‘London Blue Chain Project’ giving me an insight into further projects I could get involved in. I will be volunteering for the Blue Chain Project in the future and am grateful to have had the chance to make this connection. Kelvin also spoke to me about the conservation sector as a whole and how he started working in conservation which was very interesting to hear about.

 

Thursday 29th June:

On Thursday I went to The Rookery community gardens in Streatham common. The lovely gardens have two large ponds and lots of plants growing.

Due to the rain that morning I managed to see lots of tiny froglets hopping about the gardens which was a highlight as I had never seen froglets before.

We worked with a large, chatty, and enthusiastic group who were lively as soon as they arrived and didn’t let the weather dampen their spirits. Just like Monday, our task was to sample water from the two ponds and send it off for DNA testing as well as testing the water for other things like PH and nitrate.

Due to the large size of the group, we split into two smaller groups and each group tested one sample. I lead one of the groups which gave me great experience in managing people, leadership skills and working as a team. Everyone had a go and got involved which was great to see and were very intrigued by the process of using the scientific equipment.

Afterwards we had a nice walk around the gardens and managed to spot a few froglets hopping around, before siting down and all having a nice chat with tea and biscuits. It was great to see everyone smiling and enjoying themselves and when leaving everyone said they had a great time.

 

Friday 30th June:

I had no sessions on Friday, so I finished up this work experience blog and an end-of-placement feedback form as well as writing up a few posts for Froglife’s social media. I also had my final zoom call with Amy, my placement coordinator, to say thank you for everything. I am sad that the week is over, but so grateful for such a valuable experience in which the knowledge and skills learnt will stay with me for the future.

 

PAN UK: Pesticide-Free London Campaign

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There is a growing groundswell of support for a pesticide-free London among the capital’s decision-makers and residents.

One-third of London’s 32 Boroughs have already phased out, or significantly reduced, their use of pesticides while others have commitments in place to take action. London is already one of the greenest cities in the world and the first to be designated a National Park City.

Right now, there is an unprecedented window of opportunity to make the whole of London pesticide-free. By phasing out unnecessary pesticide use, we can make the city greener and support urban biodiversity, as well as the health of those who live, work, study and play in the capital. It’s high time that London followed the example of other major cities like Paris, Toronto and New York by banning pesticides from public spaces.

A pesticide-free London is in our sights and by working together we can secure a healthier and more sustainable future for both people and wildlife.

PAN UK sent Freedom of Information requests to all thirty-two London borough councils in September and October 2021. Thirty-one councils responded (all but Ealing Council). Read a summary of their findings here and find out about the pesticides being used in your borough by clicking on the map on PAN UK’s campaign page here. 

 

What can you do to help?

There are lots of ways to make a difference in your borough which you can adapt depending on the amount of time you have available. There are tonnes of resources and ideas on PAN UK’s campaign page here.

 

 

Reptiles in London

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Although London is a large urban landscape, it is home to a wide range of fauna and flora. One group of London wildlife that is often overlooked are the reptiles. London is home to four native reptile species: Adder, Grass Snake, Common Lizard and Slow-worm.  

If you are inspired to go out and look for London’s reptiles, here’s a couple of site suggestions for 3 of the most common species to find around the capital from courtesy of our London team.

Common Lizards:

  • Little Wormwood Scrubs, Kensington & Chelsea

Slow-worms:

  • Lesnes Abbey, Bexley

Grass Snakes:

  • WaterWorks Nature Reserve, Waltham Forest

Remember to report your reptile sightings (including juveniles and eggs) on our free Dragonfinder app. 

London T.O.A.D Blog Week 2

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Eleanor’s Blog – Week 2

Hello! I have had an exciting second week at London T.O.A.D! Read on to see what I’ve been up to!

As part of my university studies, I have to write a report on something I’ve been doing whilst on placement, so I have chosen to do this on my personal project, of revisiting the ponds created and restored during the London Dragon Finder.

Then on Tuesday, I read through the script for the Toad Tails school sessions preparing for next week when I will be joining Emily at the first session. This is really exciting as it’s a great way to get children involved and to help them understand what happens when habitats get destroyed.

Later on in the week, I spoke to Laurence who told me about a research project he had in mind for me. He sent me the data from Toads on Roads, which I am going to organise into easy to read tables containing the numbers of toads saved in each county which will then be shown on a map. This will be a great document to show to people, as it is a good indication of how important the project is for toad populations. This project will certainly keep me busy, as Toads on Roads has been going for over 40 years, so there’s plenty of data!

On Thursday, I finally went out sampling for my pond project. I decided to go to a borough with multiple sites present to make travelling worthwhile, so I chose Richmond upon Thames. I planned out how I would access the four sites, and which order I would visit them. That was the easy part! Upon arrival, I completely underestimated the size of some of the sites so on more than one occasion I found myself a bit lost! Luckily online maps came to my rescue and I found my way. Although I didn’t manage to find all the ponds I had set out to survey on that day, I managed to sample three ponds. The problems I faced have also helped me to plan my day surveying better for next time!

One of the ponds Froglife created at Barnes Common. The pond is set well back from the main path of the nature reserve, meaning it took a while for me to find but there is hardly any disturbance to the habitat! 

Here is a photo I took of a pond Froglife created at Barnes Common. The pond is set well back from the main path of the nature reserve, meaning it took a while for me to find but there is hardly any disturbance!

Today I have been inputting my survey data from yesterday into an Excel spreadsheet, ready for the next lot of surveys next week! I will also continue going through the Toads on Roads data. Lastly, I am going to prepare for activities next week, including further surveys and where I am going to go next, and ensure I know everything I need to know for the first T.O.A.D Tails school session on Tuesday!

I hope you enjoyed reading about my week!

Froglife’s London Tails of Amphibian Discovery (T.O.A.D) project secures National Lottery investment

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Froglife, a wildlife conservation charity has received a confirmed grant of £38,800, made possible by National Lottery players, to develop its London T.O.A.D project, it was announced today. The grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) will enable Froglife to undertake a six month development phase. During these six months Froglife will be planning an extensive range of activities to benefit the UK’s beleaguered common toads.

In 2016 Froglife worked in partnership with the University of Zurich to analyse its 30+ year Toads on Roads database. The findings from this research concluded that the UK’s common toads have declined by 68% over the 30 year period. It is known that year-on-year mortality of toads crossing roads to reach their breeding sites does eventually lead to the extinction of the population. Froglife coordinates the toads on roads patrols, these are volunteers who go out on spring evenings and help toads across busy roads. The dedication from these volunteers is of enormous help to our toad populations. However, in cities such as London, where the volume of traffic is such that it is not feasible to patrol roads, alternative systems are essential.

Being a very pro-active organisation Froglife immediately put in place an action plan to help secure the future of our common toads. This London project forms part of the action plan. The project will be working on six large wildlife sites in London creating networks of habitats suitable for toads. It will also be visiting toad patrol sites to select sites to benefit from infrastructure such as wildlife tunnels. Froglife is currently monitoring numerous wildlife tunnels of different designs using 24 hour cameras, the early results are showing that wildlife tunnels are well-used and not only by the wildlife that they are designed for.

Froglife wants as many people as possible to get involved in its work and in order to encourage wide engagement in toad conservation Froglife will be delivering activities such as the creation of a Mapestry (tapestry reflecting the heritage items of London), T.O.A.D wildlife gardening workshops, T.O.A.D. Tails – an activity delivered in schools, Swimming with T.O.A.Ds – converting swimming pools into toad ponds and T.O.A.D. Shows, where a Froglife Pond Doctor will provide households with wildlife gardening tips.

Kathy Wormald, Froglife CEO, said: “We are very grateful to Heritage Lottery Fund for this grant. It will provide Froglife with an excellent opportunity to inspire local communities in London about their common toad populations and their intriguing lives, whilst also introducing people to the many local green spaces on our doorsteps that can be enjoyed by all. We’ll be hosting some exceptionally creative activities alongside much needed habitat creation and restoration work.”

Stuart Hobley, Head of HLF London, said: “Whilst the age-old question might concern chickens, we are delighted that National Lottery players are able to support Froglife in helping London’s toads cross the road. This project has the potential to celebrate the humble toad, their habitats, and the important role they play in our environment. The project will also allow volunteers a toad-ally exciting opportunity to learn and develop new skills. We look forward to seeing the final proposals in due course”.

A new wetland for Mr Toad

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The conservation charity Froglife are pleased to announce that they have secured a grant of £8,600 from The Veolia Environmental Trust, through the Landfill Communities Fund, to create a wildlife pond at Ham Common Woods in Richmond. Froglife will work in partnership with the London borough of Richmond upon Thames to create a wetland oasis.

Pond creation Day 3 Ham Common Woods

This habitat work will be delivered as part of Froglife’s HLF funded flagship project, London Dragon Finder, which is encouraging Londoners to help protect amphibians and reptiles across the city.  Through surveying, mapping and creating new habitats, the project helps to conserve species like toads, frogs and newts – all of which are found in the bustling capital.

The project will improve and enhance the biodiversity value of an area of woodland at Ham Common Woods by creating a new large pond which will part of a network of new ponds in the woods. It is a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, next to Richmond Park and a Local Nature Reserve. Currently there are only wet hollows within the woodland which support breeding frogs during wet springs where there is sufficient standing water. There is also a common toad population on site which has been divided by roads. A mosaic of diverse marginal vegetation & open water will greatly improve the pond for these species.

This work is essential a recent study by Froglife and partners from The University of Zurich in Switzerland has shown that on average common toads have declined by 68% over the last 30 years in the UK. In some areas, such as London and the south east of England, declines have been even more pronounced.

Since October 2013 the London Dragon Finder project has improved habitats at over forty sites across the capital. “As our towns and cities have expanded the habitat available for wildlife has shrunk.” says Alan Shearman (London Dragon Finder Project Manager), “But, with some careful planning, and help from willing volunteers, we can still create the right conditions for wildlife to thrive in urban areas”.

Richmond Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Cllr Pamela Fleming, said: “This is fantastic news for our beautiful borough and we’re delighted that our partnership work with Froglife has resulted in what will be a gorgeous wetland oasis courtesy of the funding provided by The Veolia Environmental Trust. The environment is a cornerstone of our work here at the Council and we know how much our natural habitats, parks and open green spaces mean to our residents.”

The Executive Director of The Veolia Environmental Trust, Paul Taylor, adds, “We are really pleased to be able to support this exciting project and we look forward to seeing the finished pond and the frog and toad life it will support.’  

Work is expected to be completed before the end of February in time for the breeding season.

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