North Merseyside Amphibian and Reptile Group
About us
About Us
NMARG was formed in 2005 and is a group of about 70 members who are mostly involved with the conservation and monitoring of the reptiles and amphibians found in the area, especially the rarest two species, the Merseyside Race Sand Lizard and the Natterjack Toad.
During the Winter months, we undertake habitat management work, sometimes in partnership with other ARG groups, Natural England staff and volunteers and the Sefton Council Coast and Countryside Ranger Service. This vital work involves the clearance of unwanted scrub and trees, especially Sea Buckthorn, a highly invasive alien shrub on the Sefton Coast, which would otherwise shade out the precious Sand Lizard and Natterjack habitat. In the Spring, NMARG members also help to create and maintain the patches of bare sand essential for Sand Lizard egg laying.
During the Spring and Summer months we spend a large amount of time recording and monitoring the local reptile and amphibian species, especially the rarer species. NMARG's EPS licensed members also help to provide training in reptile and amphibian surveying.
Anyone wishing to get involved, seeking advice or supplying records are very welcome. Please contact Mike Brown at mb001b9658@blueyonder.co.uk
News
News
Spring is here and our lizards are emerging from hibernation !
The warm sunny weather we have experienced lately has tempted many lizards out from their Winter sleep. Common Lizards were already seen on the Sefton Coast earlier in March, but male and juvenile Sand Lizards have also been seen during the past couple of weeks. The females will mostly only be appearing in April however!
Habitat Management tasks during the Winter months 2021-2022, provisional dates
NMARG has now arranged provisional dates for a series of volunteer habitat management tasks at several sites in the Ainsdale area during the coming Winter. All the tasks will involve the removal of invasive scrub and small trees. The dates are as follows:
Saturday, 27th November, 2021
Sunday, 12th December, 2021
Saturday, 8th January, 2022
Sunday, 23rd January, 2022
Saturday, 5th February, 2022
Sunday, 20th February, 2022
Further details will appear in the Events section nearer the times of each event.
Habitat Management tasks during the Winter months 2021-2022
NMARG are hoping to undertake a number of volunteer habitat management tasks during the coming Winter months, mainly involving clearing scrub from our important Sand Lizard sites on the Sefton Coast. More details will appear here in the coming weeks.
Sand Lizard breeding success 2021
Sand Lizards surveys were up and running again on the Sefton Coast in 2021 for our licensed surveyors, following the severe restrictions due to Covid last year, but we have been disappointed so far by the lack of hatchlings spotted, indicating that 2021 may have been a poor breeding year for our Sand Lizards, or at least for successful hatching of their eggs. This may be due to two weather factors - the very cold May and the very dull, wet August. The hatchlings which have been seen in September were mostly quite small, indicating late hatching. Hopefully we will have some good weather in the coming weeks, to enable those hatchlings to feed and bulk up before entering hibernation.
Coronavirus
Unfortunately, no NMARG events will be organised at present, due to the covid-19 virus outbreak.
Events
Events
Past Events
Show Upcoming EventsBirch Clearance on the Ainsdale LNR, Tuesday 1st February
Tue 1st February, 2022 - Tue 1st February, 2022
Our next weekday habitat management task, clearing birch trees on the Ainsdale LNR grazing enclosure, will take place on Tuesday, February 1st, weather permitting. If you would like to help out, please contact Mike Brown for further details on mb001b9658@blueyonder.co.uk
Scrub clearance task, Ainsdale and Birkdale Sandhills LNR
Sun 6th February, 2022 - Sun 6th February, 2022
NMARG's next weekend habitat management task will take place on Sunday, February 6th, when we will be clearing scrub from an area of inner dunes at Ainsdale, on the Ainsdale and Birkdale Sandhills LNR, to help open up and extend the habitat for a small colony of Sand Lizards. For further details, please contact Mike Brown on mb001b9658@blueyonder.co.uk
Continuation of birch clearance on the Ainsdale LNR
Tue 15th February, 2022 - Tue 15th February, 2022
We will be continuing with our clearance of birch trees in the Ainsdale LNR grazing enclosure on Tuesday 15th February, weather permitting. For further details, please contact Mike Brown on mb001b9658@blueyonder.co.uk
Scrub Clearance at Queens Jubilee Nature Trail
Sun 20th February, 2022 - Sun 20th February, 2022
Our next weekend volunteer habitat management task will take place on Sunday, 20th February, when we will be clearing scrub, especially Sea Buckthorn, at Queens Jubilee Nature Trail, near Southport. For further details, please contact Mike Brown, on mb001b9658@blueyonder.co.uk
Rearranged Habitat Management Task at Queens Jubilee Nature Trail
Sun 27th February, 2022 - Sun 27th February, 2022
Our next habitat management task at Queens Jubilee Nature Trail, near Southport, rearranged from the previous Sunday, is taking place on Sunday 27th February. For further details, please contact Mike Brown, by email, on mb001b9658@blueyonder.co.uk
next tree and scrub clearance on the Ainsdale LNR grazing enclosure
Tue 1st March, 2022 - Tue 1st March, 2022
We will be continuing with the tree and scrub clearance on the Ainsdale LNR grazing enclosure on Tuesday, 1st March. For further details, please contact Mike Brown on mb001b9658@blueyonder.co.uk
Scrub clearance at Birkdale Corridor
Sun 13th March, 2022 - Sun 13th March, 2022
NMARG's next event is taking place this coming Sunday, when we will be undertaking scrub clearance at the Birkdale Corridor, part of the Aindsdale and Birkdale Sandhills LNR. For further details, please contact Mike Brown on mb001b9658@blueyonder.co.uk
Litter pick/lizard spotting event
Sun 27th March, 2022 - Sun 27th March, 2022
On Sunday morning, March 27th, we are holding a lizard spotting morning on Queens Jubilee Nature Trail, near Southport, combined with a litter pick of the site. Discarded bottles and cans can be a death trap to lizards and small mammals, and we will be removing all we can find at the site. For further details, please contact Mike Brown, on mb001b9658@blueyonder.co.uk
Sand patch creation May 1st 2022
Sun 1st May, 2022 - Sun 1st May, 2022
We will be starting our annual bout of sand patch creation and sand patch renovation on Sunday, May 1st, in order to provide/improve areas of bare sand for Sand Lizards to lay their eggs in. For further details, please contact Mike Brown, on mb001b9658@blueyonder.co.uk
Sand Patching at Ainsdale
Sun 8th May, 2022 - Sun 8th May, 2022
NMARG's next habitat management event is taking place on Sunday morning, May 8th, when we will be creating and maintaining sand patches for Sand Lizards at Ainsdale, combined with a bit of lizard spotting! for further details, please contact Mike Brown, by email, at mb001b9658@blueyonder.co.uk
Photo gallery
Photo Gallery
Contact us
Contact Us
Mike Brown (chair)
Upcoming Events
Upcoming events will be listed here.
Latest News
- Spring is here and our lizards are emerging from hibernation !
26/03/2022 7:24 pm - Habitat Management tasks during the Winter months 2021-2022, provisional dates
04/11/2021 10:44 am - Habitat Management tasks during the Winter months 2021-2022
29/09/2021 1:24 pm - Sand Lizard breeding success 2021
29/09/2021 1:19 pm - Coronavirus
18/03/2020 1:05 pm
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