Looking at lizards: Wild Volunteers wanted

People with a passion for nature can learn how to record Jersey’s four native reptile species at a free training event on Saturday, 14 March.

Reptilewatch JE 2020 training will be held from La Moye School and starts at 9.45am. Wild Volunteers will learn how to assess how our reptiles are doing, help to determine where they are and what they need in order to flourish in an environment that has vast land use demands. The four native reptiles found in Jersey are: the grass snake, green lizard, wall lizard and slow worm. 

The event is organised by The Jersey Amphibian and Reptile Group, Jersey Biodiversity Centre, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust and the Government of Jersey’s Natural Environment Team.

The event is open to all and no previous experience is needed, although there are different levels to choose from:

• Level 1 gives volunteers the skills they need to run a 30-minute pond survey in their own time. 
• Level 2 gives volunteers the skills they need to run a minimum of five surveys between January and May, using more complex methods. 

The data collected by volunteers will be used to evaluate future trends and action necessary to conserve the native reptile species. 

Liz Walsh, Natural Environment Officer, said: “We would like to encourage anyone who is interested in finding out more about Jersey’s reptiles to come along and see how they can get involved.  The data collected from citizen science schemes like Reptilewatch is used to evaluate the future trends and action necessary to conserve these protected species. 

“We rely on the kind support and commitment of Wild Volunteers, who allow us to run more surveys and gain a better understanding of the health of Jersey’s environment so that we can protect it for future generations.”