Research on the reserve

The research the rangers do varies, from counting breeding birds to measuring water levels in tubes called dipwells, so look out for them on the reserve when you’re walking. Here are the different kinds of research the rangers carry out throughout the year.

Natterjack toads – In spring the rangers spend most of their time counting natterjack toad spawn strings. The toads lay strings of spawn rather than jelly spawn like frogs. Most female toads only breed once a year so one string usually equals one female toad. Counting the spawn strings means the rangers can monitor toad populations as well.

Breeding birds – Spring, moving into summer is always a good time to count breeding birds at Sandscale. Some years this is wading birds like oystercatchers, some years, birds that use scrub habitat  like stonechats and other years, ground nesting birds like skylarks.

Measuring water levels – Across Sandscale, the rangers have fixed tubes into the ground called dipwells. These measure the level of ground water every hour with the help of little data loggers which are fixed to the tubes. By looking at the information that the dipwells have collected, the rangers can work out how groundwater moves across the site. This helps them to plan where they can create new areas for wildlife.

 Counting plants – Summer is a perfect time to count the plants growing in the grassland on site. This is done by counting the plants in a square patch called a quadrat to get an idea of which plants are thriving and which aren’t.