Helpers wanted for amphibian migration
Environmental Agency informs and asks for active support
This year, the City of Chemnitz Environmental Agency is once again looking for volunteers to help secure the amphibian migration in spring - from around the beginning of March to the end of April, depending on the weather. The animals then awaken from hibernation in their winter quarters and migrate to their traditional spawning waters. On this journey, they have to cross roads, especially from dusk to night, and need support in doing so.
Mobile "toad fences" with catching buckets are set up at so-called conflict locations to prevent the animals from crossing the road and being run over.
Many amphibians in Germany and Saxony are endangered or threatened with extinction. Preserving the amphibian population in Chemnitz is currently one of the most important areas of urban nature conservation.
The task of the volunteers is to check the trapping buckets every morning or evening, alternating with other volunteers, at temperatures of 5°C and above. The amphibian species (toads, frogs, newts) in the buckets are identified, counted, brought safely across the road and released again.
All helpers are given expert guidance and support at the beginning so that they can quickly identify the seven most common species in Chemnitz themselves. The more helpers there are at a location, the less burdened the individual is.
Support is urgently needed at the following locations: Weigandstraße (Rabenstein), Poltermühlenteich (Grüna) and Salzstraße (Schlosschemnitz). There are also smaller, unsecured locations in almost all city districts, so there may also be a location close to where you live.
Furthermore, there are more than 50 protected areas in Chemnitz that require regular monitoring. This can range from simply checking signs or identifying the need for maintenance to documenting the species present. Active support with maintenance measures is also possible. Depending on the level of knowledge, time available and willingness to work, individual areas of responsibility can be agreed.
Interested parties are asked to contact the Lower Nature Conservation Authority at the City of Chemnitz Environmental Agency, either by telephone on 0371 488-3602, -3603 or by e-mail to: umweltamt.naturschutz(at)stadt-chemnitz.de.