Hibernation for the salamanders will be coming to an end soon!
It's almost time to get out and find these little Salamanders again!
Eastern Red-backed Salamander
Photo: Kim Trudeau
We seem to be having some wild weather swings with all the snow melting, followed by snow and ice storms, and then a day of +15!

The salamanders will be active soon, so I wanted to send out a reminder to start keeping an eye on those nighttime temperatures. We are looking for temperatures hovering around, and just above, 0°C if you want to start checking the vernal pools early. When it comes to checking the boards themselves we are looking for temperatures around 5°C overnight with no frost, and ideally some rain.

Now is a great time to read over your monitoring manual as a refresher before the salamanders are on the move.
Spotted Salamander egg mass
Photo: Ryan Lamoureux
Refresher training:
Online and in the field
Online Training
We have created some online training available for any salamander monitors who would like to take it as a refresher. We have recycled the training videos from last year and created some more interactive courses through a program called EdApp. This is self directed learning with videos and quizzes to get you thinking again about the upcoming salamandering season! You can sign up for EdApp by clicking here. Make sure to sign up to EdApp with this link, otherwise you will not be able to see any of our training content.

As a Salamander Monitor you will be looking for the Salamander & Vernal Pool Monitoring course. If you have taken that and would like to learn more about Salamander ID you can also take the Reptile & Amphibian ID course. If you only want to learn about salamanders in the ID course you can take The Basics lesson and then skip right to the Salamanders lesson.

Feel free to also sign up for one of our 'drop-in' training sessions at the office. We can help if you would like assistance signing up for EdApp, or if you would like to do the training at the office with staff available for any questions you might have. You can sign up for one of those sessions through eventbrite by clicking here.
Be prepared for wet weather! This should be a fun day of splashing around big forest puddles!

Photo: Dorthea Hangaard
In The Field Training
We have outdoor training sessions available for all salamander monitors who are interested.

We will be heading out to the the Adams NR to go over how to find egg masses in the vernal pools. We will cover egg mass ID and give you a sense where to look for different species. There will also be time to look at the boards and answer any questions about checking them.
Assistance in the field
I can go out with any teams that would like m to join them on a visit of their site. If you would like me to come out with you on your next visit then let me know and we can schedule it in. 
 
If you are running into any issues, have questions, or would like some feedback then feel free to get in touch.
Things to remember:

  • The Salamander Monitoring Program Manual

  • Reptile and Amphibian ID guide'

  • Load your salamander board map onto Avenza

  • Monitoring Forms


If you don't have a copy of the manual, ID guide, or and Avenza map with your boards then contact Toby at toby@couchconservacy.ca.
What to do if you find wildlife on the road?
I am Toby Rowland, the Conservation Biologist at The Couchiching Conservancy. If you have questions about Community Science, Species At Risk, or wildlife in general then feel free to get in touch.

Email: toby@couchconservancy.ca
Work hours: 9:00am-5:00pm
Phone: (705) 559-5278
You are receiving this email because you are a Salamander Monitor with The Couchiching Conservancy. Please let us know if things have changed and you can longer volunteer, or do not wish to receive these emails. 
The Couchiching Conservancy | couchichingconserv.ca