Newt surveys in all weathers

The great crested newt survey season is over again for another year…

Team ecology have been out nationwide searching for great crested newts in their waders. This year on a number of sites environmental DNA (eDNA) has been used to test whether great crested newts are in a pond, precluding the need for traditional presence/absence surveys.

These eDNA surveys involve taking water samples from different points around a pond and sending them off to a laboratory for analysis. With so many sites to survey and such a short window in which to do it this often means being out on site in all weather conditions… including snow!

Where the eDNA has come back negative this means that no further surveys are required as the presence of great crested newts has not been detected.

Positive results require 6 population surveys to calculate the numbers of great crested newts. Population surveys involve a number of methods including bottle trapping, torching, egg searching and netting.

The survey season ends in mid-June for great crested newts and therefore the bottle traps have now been put away for another year!