Join the Wildlife Ambassadors at Peterborough Green Festival

Some of the Ambassadors building a shelter

The Wildlife Ambassador’s here at Froglife are inviting you to celebrate their work at the 20th anniversary of the Green Festival in Peterborough. The event will be held on Saturday 28th May at the Peterborough Cathedral Green from 10am till 4pm.

The Wildlife Ambassador project works with people who are looking for a fresh start in employment or education across the city. Ambassadors are offered a six week training project with the aim of empowering them to protect and support their local wildlife. They can then go on to do a personal project and further volunteering to carry on making a difference.

The current group of Ambassadors have been working on a six week project surveying for reptiles and butterflies on Hampton Nature Reserve whilst also working on the construction of an Ambassador teepee to be used at events. The Green Festival will be a fantastic opportunity for the Ambassadors to celebrate all their hard work, whilst running fun activities for families and the younger fans of wildlife!

"The Ambassadors are very excited about running a stand at the Festival. It gives them a chance to show people everything you can do on the project and how much they have learnt in six short weeks," says Laura Brady, Project Officer. "We have had such a great response from our Ambassadors so far, with many going onto a six week personal project continuing their learning and experiences with Froglife."

Wildlife Ambassador Katie McCarthy said the project made her feel "happy and connected." Ambassador Ash Jarvis adds "volunteering in the Wildlife Ambassador project really helped me learn so much about something I am passionate about. You are made to feel welcome and make new friends along the way, and get to see things you might not have seen before! It’s an excellent opportunity to find out about conservation and the wildlife around Peterborough."

People can find the Ambassadors on Saturday through the archway to the Cathedral in our fantastic teepee! The giant tent is decorated with a big Grass snake and Common lizard - two native species we have encountered on the Hampton Nature Reserve.

The Wildlife Ambassadors are looking forward to meeting lots of people interested in the project and recruiting future Ambassadors - so come along and say hello!

If you are interested in the event or in the Wildlife Ambassador project then you can either contact Laura Brady, Project Officer on 01733 425828 or laura.brady@froglife.org or visit our website www.froglife.org/ambassadors you find our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/froglifewa



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Photo: Laura Brady

Water worries during this warm spring?

Whilst many of us have been enjoying the unusually sunny spring weather we should spare a thought for our amphibian friends. Long spells of dry weather can cause many a problem for pond inhabitants.

If you have a garden pond you will probably have noticed the water level has dropped over the last few months, particularly if you live in south east England. Whilst this isn’t necessarily a problem (pond levels naturally fluctuate and will be topped up again during the winter) it can be an issue for developing tadpoles.

Here are the top 5 tips for keeping your pond and tadpoles happy:

1. If water levels drop worrying low you can top the pond up with tap water but make sure you treat it first. In recent years the chlorine that used to be added to tap water to make it safe for drinking has been replaced by chloramines which, unfortunately, are potentially more harmful for amphibians. It used to be recommended that you leave tap water to stand for at least 24 hours to allow the chlorine to dissipate but chloramines are much more persistent so ideally you will need to treat the water to remove these. Inexpensive products are available.

2. Provide ‘frog ladders’ if a large gap develops between the edge of the pond and the level of the water. Sticks, plants and rocks will all help developing froglets leave the pond when they’re ready.

3. Warm weather can encourage algal blooms which can deoxygenate the water and kill tadpoles. If the water turns green it’s time to take action. Barley straw or barley straw extract can be used to treat the water. Alternatively ‘natural’ or ‘bio active’ products are available but be sure to read the labels carefully so you know what you’re buying. In the long term, think about adding some more plants to help use up excess nutrients and prevent too much algae growing.

4. Once froglets start emerging from the water, try to keep exposed edges of the pond damp to prevent them sticking and drying out.

5. Get a rain butt – collecting rain water is the easiest way to ensure you have an albeit temporary supply of freshwater to top up the pond in these situations.

Hot, dry weather can be a bit of a problem for adult amphibians too as there are fewer opportunities to hunt and fewer prey to be found. During weather like this you are most likely to find frogs, toads and newts hiding out under logs and stones during the hottest part of the day.

On the plus side, the warm weather will mean that the tadpoles will develop more quickly so once they leave the pond there will be even more time for them to feed up before their first winter. It’s also beneficial for amphibians for a pond to dry up every few years as this ensures the pond is kept free of predators like fish.

You can find out more garden pond tips from Froglife in our Just Add Water publication here.

Photo by Jules Howard

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