RESTORING HABITATS OF ENDANGERED AMPHIBIANS

Estonian Fund for Nature (ELF) is NGO dedicated to nature conservation. Its mission is to preserve endangered species and their habitats, natural landscapes and natural associations typical of Estonia. ELF has organized yearly nature conservation holidays where volunteers, participants and group managers work together in order to improve the living conditions of a certain species (i.e. natter jack toad, black stork) or maintain semi-natural communities. You can read more on http://elfond.ee/en and see photos of volunteering camps 2019 and 2020: http://www.talgud.ee/galerii/2019 , http://www.talgud.ee/galerii/2020 The aim of this camp is restoring the habitats of endangered amphibians natter jack toad (Epidalea calamita) and northern crested newt (Triturus cristatus) in Matsalu, West-Estonia and Haanja, South-Estonia. The Matsalu National Park in West-Estonia is one of Europe’s most important stopover sites for waterfowl on their flight from the Arctic to Western Europe. It is a true paradise for bird watchers. The national park comprises the shallow Matsalu Bay, nearly 50 islands and islets and the Väinameri sea surrounding them. The coastal meadows by Matsalu Bay, which are among the largest in Europe, are an important feeding place for migratory birds and a nesting site for some rare species. The natter jack toad can be easily recognized by a bright yellow stripe on its back. This amphibian used to be a common species in Estonian coastal meadows. Unfortunately, as the traditional farming and agriculture have changed, many meadows are no longer used for cattle and the open landscapes gradually disappear. The natter jack toad inhabits open meadows that have temporary ponds and no high vegetation. Haanja is the highest part of an otherwise low country. It ́s locally known for some distinct cultural heritage: smoke saunas and Võru dialect. The hills of Haanja create a very diverse landscape with small size fields, hey-meadows, forests and wetlands. A perfect habitat for many cultural landscape species that have been lost in intensive farming areas. The northern crested newt is a rare dark lizard-like threatened amphibian species in Estonia, occurring mainly in the southern part of the country. One of the main reasons for the decrease in the crested newt’s numbers is the lack of small water bodies suitable for breeding ponds. With the help of volunteers, we can clear the ponds from brushwood and vegetation, which helps to ensure the survival and increase of existing populations. NB! It is possible to join this project for one of its parts only - either in Matsalu 19.-22.07 or in Haanja 22.-28.07.