We are holding a HARG committee meeting at the Golden Lion in Winchester (http://www.thegoldenlionwinchester.co.uk) at 1:00pm on Saturday 3rd June.

We will meet over lunch, and sort out the business end of the committee until 3:00 pm.  This will be followed by a walk on the Butterfly Conservation reserve at Magdalen Hill Down (http://butterfly-conservation.org/2401-1937/magdalen-hill-down-hampshire.html).

All are welcome, but please do contact us on info@arguk.org if you wish to come so that we can book a big enough space for us all.

Great news - our SE Amphibian and Reptile Groups meeting on 12th January 2019 (10.00 - 16.00) at Marwell Zoo, is now open for bookings.

We have space for just 109 delegates so if you wish to come, get signed up as soon as you can. We have a fantastic programme with all of the local ARGs contributing as well as some special guests! We'll be hearing about all our native herps from smooth snakes and adders to frogs and common toads, and it will be a great opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues.

Details will be posted on the members calendar

Help Amphibian & Reptile Conservation's Field Team with a heathland management task on the disused Burley railway embankment, New Forest. 
Dates: Tuesday 15th January and 16th January 2019.   
Meeting point: Burbush car park, Pound Lane (south west of Burley) at grid reference  SU 202 018. 
Meet up time in car park 10 am - phone in advance or just turn up on either day!  All volunteers will then be taken to the site together.  If you get delayed or just want to attend for the afternoon, please phone one of the ARC Field Team on arrival.  
ARC contact numbers: Nick Moulton (07810 184507) or Rick Sharp (07810 770565), although note that reception may be poor for some networks.  This area supports all six reptile species and is also very important for invertebrates. 
Management will include tree and scrub clearance mostly using hand tools - any chainsaw work will be done by the ARC Field Team in a separate area.  
The ARC field team usually work until  3 - 4 pm, although volunteers can stay as long as they wish on either or both days! 
Bring warm (old) clothes, good walking boots, gloves, waterproofs, lunch and drinks.
Some hand tools will be available for HIWARG volunteers to use, but do bring your own bow saws or bill hooks if you have them. 
NB: if the weather is very poor on either day volunteers should re-consider attending as the embankment has a steep slope in places that becomes slippery when wet.

IF ABLE TO HELP, PLEASE CONTACT ME  & I WILL FORWARD TERESA'S DETAILS.
She rescued 1254 toads last year which is really good with so few volunteers! She really would appreciate some support and extra volunteers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Re the toads crossing!
They will start to cross anytime now if the temperature reaches 6 degrees upwards and wind chill the same.
We only do it when the temperature is 6 degrees upwards, we start at dusk, that’s when the toads start to cross, we do it in a car with a driver and a helper as the road is a mile long plus the toads are more visible in head lights.
We all wear fluorescent jackets and a sign in the back saying “toad patrol”.
We do it every night if the temperatures are right.
Most patrollers sign up for one night a week but only go if it’s 6 degrees upwards. I hope this information is useful!
Also all our patrollers are aware that the toads play a very important part of the Eco System!
Thank you very very much for your help in finding volunteers. Kind regards Teresa "

Details will be posted on the members calendar. Will confirm whether Sat or Sun.  

Scrub Clearance work task. Excellent chance to make life a little better for the herps emerging in sping.
Full details on the HIWARG Facebook group.

Joint Scrub Clearance task on FC Heath Warren, near Eversley alongside the Forestry Commission, RSPB and Thames Basin Heaths Partnership. This site is of particular interest as it features a population, albeit non-native, of Pool Frogs.
Full details on the HIWARG Facebook group.

Event link & details: https://www.arc-trust.org/Event/hwm2019 

Details will be posted on the members calendar. Will confirm whether Sat or Sun.