Volunteer with Amphibians and Reptiles

Want to help amphibians and reptiles?  There are a number of ways you can do this.

Volunteer

There are a number of charities you can volunteer with, such as Froglife.   Their vision is "a world in which reptile and amphibian populations are flourishing as part of healthy ecosystems."   Froglife say they can often tailor volunteering posts around your needs and interests, from practical work, to helping their education team or using your IT skills - or helping toads cross roads.  Their volunteering information is here.   They've also got a newsletter, Croak, that you can subscribe to, so as to get all the latest news and updates or you can Become a Friend from £18.00 a year.  Their online shop gives you the chance to sponsor a lizard, snake, toad, frog etc and you can even sponsor a pond, so giving wildlife essential habitat.

The Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK (ARG UK)   "promotes the conservation of our native amphibians and reptiles and their environment by promoting and supporting the development of a network of independent Amphibian and Reptile Groups (ARGs)."  They have lots of ways to get stuck in and help, including for children in the classroom, and you can help them by recording your sightings in their Record Pool when you see an amphibian or reptile. You can see all their porjects and surveys here  Please can I draw your attention to their incredible Useful Links page on which you'll find a lot more conservation groups working to help reptiles and amphibians.  

Amphibian and Reptile Conservation need people to help with conservation, surveying and lending a hand at events.  They have a new Adder Guide - take a look at it here. And they've got information on adder bites here (just in case you're wondering about them). They have lots of help on their site, including a section on reporting your sightings and how to identify what you've seen, hopping and slithering about. And they have an online In Memory page, so that you can think of your loved one and donate.  They also have page on escaped pet snakes, just in case...

The ARC Trust owns and manages over 80 reserves across the country so there are plenty of volunteering opportunities.  Volunteering is a wonderful way to meet like-minded people, and there's nothing like getting outside and exericisng - and that's all the better if you can help conservation!  There are a lot of local groups around the country - slither off here to find your local ARG group here 

Wildlife spotting

Report what you find or spot in your garden or when you’re out and about.  Amphibian and Reptiles Conservation can help you identify what you’ve seen.  It really helps conservationists build up a picture of where amphibians and reptiles are and where they aren't but used to be.  This in turn helps them identify species which need help. 

Frolife have an app you can use called Dragon Finder - you can use it to identify reptiles and amphibians while you're out and about, to report a sighting and to find out more about a species. 

Check out this app called Dragon Finder from Froglife

Join projects and surveys

Give them a hand with your eyes and record your results and let them know about them.  There are some fascinating projects and surveys being done to help amphibians and reptiles and and it can be a great way to discover a lot more about the wildlife you're spotting.  We spotted an adder a couple of years ago on a walk, and of course we went home and looked up information about the adder and recording our sighting of it - it was a very exciting thing to do and we felt very protective of the snake.  

Create a wildlife pond in your garden

It doesn’t need to be large – a small one will do.  The charity Froglife has a Just Add Water campaign with lots of advice and helpful tips on its website – click here to hop off to the Just Add water campaign.  They've also got a Wildlife Pond Visualiser App which you can download.  Adding water to your garden is really important and will make a huge difference to wildlife. 

And there’s plenty you can do to encourage amphibians and reptiles into your own garden – this is becoming more and more important as natural habitats are destroyed.

Join the Toad on the Road Patrol

Give toads a helping hand and become a Toad Patroller. The Toads on Roads project registers ‘migratory crossings’ and helps coordinate local Toad Patrols. Patrols can apply to local councils for road warning signs to be put up and actively help toads cross the road.

Donate for habitat protection and creation

There will be any number of appeals by charities looking to purchase and protect and manage land – habitat – where many species live, including amphibians and reptiles.  Take a look at your favourite charity and see what they are doing and how you can help.  We’ll also have information about appeals on Take Action for Wildlife Conservation.

Find out more

As well as reading the websites online, Foyles has some great books you can delve into to discover more about amphibians and reptiles.   They could also make great gifts too!  The more knowledge we all have about amphibians and reptiles, the more we become aware of the help they need, and what each of us can do to help them. 

 For teachers and those wanting to get youngsters interested in wildlife, the ARC Trust has resources you can download for KS1 and KS2 whilst Froglife has a Learning Zone