Conservation is a joint effort. This month, we worked with Butterfly Conservation and Essex & Suffolk Water to ensure the habitat at Hadleigh Great Wood is in perfect condition for one of the UK's rarest butterflies: heath fritillaries. In Essex, we are lucky to be one of the few counties where this butterfly can still be seen. That's why we, alongside our amazing volunteers, re-coppiced, brush cut and raked areas at this site. Heath fritillaries like woodland glades and have historically been linked with the traditional practice of woodland coppicing, giving it the nickname 'Woodman's Follower'. 

Assistant Ranger, Andy Dunn, tells us about the pond restoration work at Roding Valley Meadows nature reserve:

"There’s a pond in Roding Valley Meadows known as Andrew's Pond. It is believed to be named after a young man who struggled with his health but found solace sitting on the bench by the water. This and the natural beauty of the pond itself makes it important to restore. Water flows in and out of the pond by a dam previously built by volunteers. However, the build-up of organic material and spread of reed mace has reduced the water level. So, volunteers cleared the pond by pulling out the reed mace. It was hard work but enjoyable and rewarding." 

Have you seen a toad crossing a road? Or, spotted toad spawn somewhere? Despite their name, the common toad is becoming increasingly uncommon in our landscape, as a study by Froglife showed they have declined by 68% over the last three decades. We are trying to gather as much data as we can on toads, toadlets and toadspawn in Essex so we can help keep them safe. 

You may have seen that recently, in Bath, roads have been closed to help toads safely cross the road. With enough data records, we can identify the hotspots for toad crossings and help them cross safely to their breeding ponds. 

Submit your data to our Toad Watch 

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