Responding to questions about ongoing media coverage of proposed amphibian reintroductions, ARG UK wishes to clarify its position, building on our Policy Statement Concerning Reintroductions, and ARG UK Advice Note 12 Amphibian and Reptile Reintroduction Guidelines.

www.arguk.org/get-involved...

A group of over 20 environmental NGOs including us worked on the reponse over 2 years & co-ordinated by Froglife & PTES submitted extensive data
We were pleased to see proposals accepted by JNCC to increase protection for the rapidly declining adder in England but its now come to nothing.

The Government has reponded to the advice from JNCC on the 7th quinquennial review of species protections under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981. Many environmental NGOs took part
The response from Mary Creagh MP is thanks for doing it but they will not be implementing the proposed amendments

Reminder that bookings are being taken for the 2026 Herpetological Workers Meeting in Glasgow on the 31st January and 1st February.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/herpetofau...

On a survey a grass snake under a cover object is easier to spot compared to ragged pieces of slough caught up in the vegetation. Both on a National Trust site being surveyed by a local ARG

Use of cover objects for reptile surveys need to be well away from public areas. Now it's not a very useful cover object after it's been used to stand a disposable barbecue on it

Are you coming to the Vanishing Viper Conference on 6-7 September (or if you aren't). We have organic cotton Ts and hoodies.
greenharedesigns.co.uk/product-cate...
Order direct from Green Hare incl. postage, or free pick up from the event.
DEADLINE FOR CONFERENCE PICK UP ORDERS IS MONDAY 25th AUGUST

Toadlets are in the move! We are delighted that so many of you who are spotting tiny toadlets are recording them on Record Pool - we will model the outcomes and share of course. Thanks to all for your help.
www.recordpool.org.uk/travellingto...

Lots of ponds drying up this early in the year Tonights torchlight survey at this LNR cancelled for obvious reasons. Pond seen in May 2023 full of water.
Darren - looks like lots of the invasive Parrot's feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum) in your garden pond

Some of our Groups have been helping out with sampling this month for @freshwaterhabitats.bsky.social Great Crested Newt eDNA Project which has been running now for 11 years.
This is DerbyshireARG and the 2 ponds in the county that they recently sampled.

A dead but not dead grass snake

Nice to see a bank with orchids & cowslips in a mostly improved grassland field on the way to check on a pond

The Derbyshire ARG volunteers doing an amphibian survey at Swadlincote Woodlands for South Derbyshire DC. Mixture of torchlight surveys on the small ponds & bottle trapping the lagoons

Great to see our volunteers in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire reaching out to local communities to help them understand them what’s going on in their ponds. Introducing folk to the magic of the secret underwater world.

Our first post on Bluesky - a georgeous female adder basking, celebrating all the hard work and efforts by our partners and volunteers on the Cannock Chase National Landscape adder conservation project to create and connect habitat including some rather impressive hibernation structures.