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Time for Toads: Volunteers wanted

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Ringwood & Poulner Toad Patrol start gearing up for coming toad migration season

Common Toads by Laura Brady and Sivi Sivanesan

It is almost that time of year where motorists on Hampshire’s roads are urged to take extra care whilst driving over country roads at night; hibernating toads and frogs will soon wake up and start their annual migration to their spawning ponds and lakes. Local conservationist Teresa Baker of the Ringwood & Poulner Toad Patrol, a group of volunteers who help escort toads safely across the roads of Gorley, said: “Toads are an endangered species and the journey they embark on is often very dangerous. By helping them overcome manmade obstacles such as roads, we are doing our bit in securing the next generation of these highly vulnerable animals.” 

The Ringwood & Poulner patrol concentrates on helping toads cross Gorley Road in Poulner to and from the Blashford Lakes. The aim is to have a team of volunteer patrollers on the ground every night from dusk.       

Mrs Baker continued: “The toads start crossing when the temperature stays above 5 degrees from dusk and with the winter we’ve been having so far they could start soon. This area is renowned for its toad population but in order to help as many toads cross safely as possible we need more volunteers. If anyone has a couple of hours per week to spare and could help out that would be wonderful, please ring me on 01425 478891. If people are interested in nature conservation and want to make a difference locally, please join the patrol, it is very rewarding indeed.”

Notes

  • Ringwood & Poulner Toad Patrol is registered with wildlife charity Froglife. The charity coordinates toad patrolling throughout the UK through a national campaign called ‘Toads on Roads’. Over the coming months, one thousand volunteers will be carrying thousands of toads across the UK’s roads, in a coordinated effort to help save the iconic animal from further declines. For more information please visit www.froglife.org/toads-on-roads/

Thanks to our wonderful volunteers!

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This month we’d like to highlight the time, passion and creativity that our volunteers bring to our projects.

All over the UK, the Froglife teams create & restore habitats and hold events to help educate the public on the importance of conserving amphibians and reptiles and saving the habitats they depend on. At all of these events, across the countryside and cities we have a strong team of volunteers who are always there to help spread the conservation message and get mucky to help our little frogs, toads, newts, snakes and lizards!vol KW2016

These volunteers not only give us their time, they also share their talents with us by regularly taking photos and creating fantastic videos after we’ve completed projects at sites.

So here’s a few bits that they’ve shared with us:

  • This amazing underwater video of tadpoles in Olive Branch Community Gardens, was shared to Rebecca Neal, Conservation Youth Worker, for Peterborough Green Pathways by one of her volunteers. Froglife put the ponds in 5 or 6 years ago through the Wildlife Ambassadors project, and this video clearly shows us that the frogs like the ponds we made!

  • This selection of videos come from Katie Garrett, one of the London Dragon Finder volunteers. Katie often comes along to our events and work days, gets muddy and still manages to take amazing photos and videos! Check her out on twitter, @katieggarrett, as she often posts more images and short videos of the amphibians and reptiles she sees when she’s out and about. When she’s not volunteering with us, she also volunteers with Honduras Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Centre, making films for their conservation efforts. She’s a Herp Hero!

So again, a MASSIVE thanks to all our volunteers from everyone here at Froglife!

This is how SMILEY you make us!
You make us all SMILE!

Make Volunteering One Of Your New Year Resolutions!

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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

Super volunteer wins green award

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Froglife volunteer Ash Jarvis has scooped a prestigious award for her hard work as a Wildlife Ambassador. Ash has volunteered over  500 hours of her  time with the us, starting out on the project funded by Access to Nature two years ago. On Monday, she was recognised for her commitment and won Best Volunteer at the Peterborough Telegraph Green Awards.

“I really wasn’t expecting my name to be uttered when a representative of Prince Energy was announcing the winner of my category. I was so surprised and pleased when he did though!” said Ash.  “It felt good to be rewarded for the work I’d been doing at Froglife and the award will be hung on the wall once I’ve moved into my new home. A really nice end to the year.”

The awards were hosted by Rachel Huxley from Peterborough Environment City Trust, and Ash’s Award was sponsored by Prince Energy.

Ash and her award

Ash and her certificate

Ash with Prince Energy and Rachel

Ash with the team from Prince Energy and Rachel Huxley from PECT

“Ash is a great volunteer, she’s just so good at inspiring other people, ” added Sam Taylor from Froglife. “Nothing is too much trouble and she has got stuck in to so many weird and wonderful things, from dressing up as a frog to digging a pond, talking to children about snakes or getting covered in mud!”

Ash was among a host of winners at the awards including Cuckoos Hollow, a local green space where Froglife has helped to create a wildlife inspired mural and Railworld, who’s wildlife haven is a stunning secret spot right next to the river. There were also some fantastic finalists, including the Green Backyard where Ash and other volunteers created a pond.

All in all, the awards night was inspiring and highlighted the hard work going on all over the city to help local wildlife.  Congratulations to Ash, the winners and finalists and everyone else involved.

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