Join Yorkshire Amphibian and Reptile Group in partnership with the DVLP for a night walk exploring the hidden world of amphibians in Wombwell Woods. This is the perfect time of the year to see amphibians close up as they head towards their evening ponds in preparation for breeding.

The event is FREE but booking is essential, please see website below to book your place. All are welcome but children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. No previous experience necessary.

Please wear sensible outdoor clothing and footwear and bring a torch if possible.

Please meet in the Forestry Commission car park to Wombwell Wood ready for 7:30pm.

http://discoverdearne.org.uk/events/amphibian-safari-wombwell-woods/

amphibian_safari_draft_poster_april_2017_howell_wood.pdf

One of our members Gordon Haycock is intending to return this year to Nell Bank Centre near Ilkley http://www.nellbank.com/ to check in on the amphibians populations including the great crested newt population which he has been monitoring for the last few years since the completion of a conservation based translocation scheme.

Please meet in the car park at Nell Bank Centre, Ilkley (NGR SE 1263 4861) at 7:30pm. This is the site of GCN introduction undertaken 2009 – 2011. Small breeding population detected in 2015 so hoping for more this year. Torching Friday night and bottle trapping so meeting 7.30am Saturday morning too. There are also alpine newts (as well as common toad, common frog, palmate newt and smooth newt) at this site.

Thanks

Saturday 22^nd April 2017 6.30pm – 10pm and

Sunday 23^rd April 2017 8.30am – 10am approx.

Come and join the ARG for an evening (and morning) at this wonderful wood meadow site located within the Escrick Park Estate south of York.

The wood meadow at Hagge Wood has created from an arable field and now after a lot of hard work and expertise is a thriving woodland ecosystem.  The Trust has created a pond within the wood meadow and we have been kindly invited to conduct a survey of the pond and the wider site for amphibians. 

We will be conducting a survey of ponds present at the site; surveying will involve standard techniques for newt egg searching, bottle trapping and torchlight surveys, We will also undertake a session of identification (under the cover the wonderful Bodgers den! weather permitting) and have the opportunity to speak to the creators of the site and Yorkshire ARG members.  Then to await darkness to undertake some torch surveying of the pond,  we may also bring a few bat detectors and do a bit of bat spotting as we are awaiting darkness. We will then return on Sunday morning to  retrieve bottle traps and see what we have caught!

Please meet at the entrance the wood meadow at 6.30pm. Directions to Three Hagges Wood-Meadow can be found on the following website  http://www.haggewoodstrust.org.uk/contact-us/ . The meeting point would be at the meadow entrance gate/Bodgers Den.

For more information about the Hagge Wood Trust see http://www.haggewoodstrust.org.uk/

Three Hagges Wood-Meadow, York Road, Escrick, York, North Yorkshire, YO19 6EF. 

Three Hagges Wood-Meadow lies 7 miles south of York and 5 miles north of Selby, alongside the A19.

Please ensure you dress in clothing appropriate to the weather conditions (i.e. waterproofs etc...).  As we will be working next to ponds suitable footwear such as wellingtons would be essential in addition to a head torch for night working. There will be a limited amount of high powered torches available from the group to use during torchlight surveys however if you have a torch at home you could bring that would be helpful.  Light refreshments will be on offer.

 Any queries please contact Clare McIlwraith on the main YARG email address.

Yorkshire ARG will be again be involved by hosting an information stand and conducting pond dipping and ID activities at the garden centre wildlife day   This was a great event last year with amphibians and aquatic pond life being on display for identification and the stand being provided to show identification of herpetofaina and give advice to members of the public about herps in our region and in their gardens. The gardens are really fantastic and a number of other species organisations are present including the butterfly and bat groups and bird ringers so plenty to see and do.

For further details see http://www.stillingfleetlodgenurseries.co.uk/workshops/wildlife-day/

Please do come along if you are able to help promote our group and spend an hour on the ARG stand at any time during the day at this event.  Free for volunteers to assist.. there's a lovely cafe too!

Events runs from 11:00Am - if you do intend at volunteer on the stand please contact Ana Togridou who is acting as the lead Yorkshire ARG member hosting the stand on anatolitogridou@yahoo.gr.

A poster and timetable are attached.Wildlife_Day_2017_-_Timetable_of_Activities.pdfWildlife_Day_-_Poster_A4_FINAL_June_2017.pdf

Friends of Rawcliffe Meadows (one of the Freshwater Habitats Trust flagship sites located in our region) have a few work parties scheduled over the next few months, if you fancied joining in!

• October 2017 Sunday 8th - Clearing Reedmace from Water Vole Scrape in Reservoir Basin
• November 2017 Sunday 19th-  Coppicing and clearing within Blue Beck Copse
• December 2017 Sunday 3rd - Clearing Reedmace from Water Vole Scrape in Reservoir Basin

Contact Friends of Rawcliffe Meadows (see website for more details) https://rawcliffemeadows.wordpress.com/ if you’d like to help out!

Please join The Friends of Gallows Hill in a social evening event in aid of the pond building fund.

Friday 17th November  

at Otley Rugby Club   (LS21 1HE)

For directions see http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/otley

from 7.30pm

There will be music from a live band - Elysian & Balsamic

Raffle with great prizes to be won - all proceeds go towards this great cause!

Please come along and lend your support its set to be a great night!

Join us for an autumn meeting… comprising of pond clearing plus an evening social:

Gordon Haycock has organised a ‘pond clearing’ event at the GCN translocation ponds at the Nell Bank Centre in Ilkley.  Join us on Saturday 18^th November to help out improving the ponds at the site where GCN are thriving after a translocation conducted a few years ago.  Would be good to meet up with YARG members old and new and any new potential members are welcome too.

The pond clearing is of two ponds at Nell Bank Centre which are choked with weed (mainly Canadian pondweed), which we will rake out and then leave on the bank for beasties to crawl back. Both are GCN breeding ponds and the work will increase suitability by creating open water. The work should only take a few hours (stay as long as you want).  Gordon will be on hand to show people round the centre and provide details of the GCN translocation project.

Approximate agenda for the day (to be firmed up near the time)

Nell Bank Pond Clearance

• 2pm meet at Nell bank Centre, Ilkley

• Short tour by Gordon Haycock

• 3-5pm approx. Pond clearing

• Get cleaned up..!

Food

• ~6pm Food at a pub or somewhere in Otley

Come for part of all of the afternoon/evening as desired.  Pond clearance equipment provided (although if you have a spare rake bring it) .  Bring wellingtons/waders and possibly a change of clothes (if staying for the evening).

Any queries please contact Gordon on gordon.haycock@haycockandjay.co.uk or Clare or Andy via ARG email.

Preparing the area for new ponds with a fingertip search for amphibians. Please dress for the weather and bring a packed lunch.

See https://www.facebook.com/events/142309846415001/  or

If you want to help out please contact Gordon Haycock on gordon.haycock@haycockandjay.co.uk

Lines Ways, at Great Preston in south east Leeds (see http://www.ywt.org.uk/reserves/the-lines-way) and it has now been designated a LWS for its GCN and smooth newt populations. YARG has previously conducted amphibian surveys at this site.

 AGM MEETING