The Toads on Roads project has been running for over twenty years and we know of around 880 toad migratory crossings.

Common toads are very particular about where they breed and often migrate back to their ancestral breeding ponds each year. They follow the same route, regardless of what gets in their way, which sometimes leads to them crossing roads. Where we get this toad vs. traffic scenario, the toads inevitably come off worse.

The Toads on Roads project registers these sites as 'migratory crossings' and helps coordinate local Toad Patrols, who can apply for road warning signs to be installed and actively help the toads across the road.

Part one of this project is to check if your local Toad Crossing has already been registered and if not register it.

1 Check the active map for your crossing

2 Check the map of unknown sites for your crossing

3 Check the map of inactive sites for your crossing

4 If your crossing is not on any maps then you can register your crossing via the Froglife/Toads on Roads website with the Department for Transport database.

5 To register the site you will need to know the road name and, preferably, a grid reference (otherwise a postcode), plus a brief description of the site itself including the length of road the toads are using.

6 It's important you know how many toads, and/or other amphibians, you saw so the size of population can be determined. Unfortunately small populations may not warrant registration.

7 Your contact details will be required - that way a confirmation letter can be posted  to enable you to keep in touch with updates and newsletters; your details will not be displayed on the Toads on Roads website and will only be passed on to potential volunteers to man Toad Crossings with your permission.

The Froglife, Toads on Roads website contains further information and guides to projects. As part 2 of this project you can download a  pack for setting up and running Toad Patrols.

Dawn

In partnership the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and North Wessex Downs AONB has been successful in winning £140,000 of Government funding to deliver an exciting new project called Stepping Stones.

This project will take place on the Pewsey Downs and the West Wiltshire Downs. It will run from 1st October 2012 to 31st March 2015. The Stepping Stones objectives are:
. To connect high quality wildlife hotspots, such as County Wildlife Sites, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserves, by  creating habitat links and stepping stones of habitat so that individual creatures and species can hop from one to the other, thereby expanding their range.
. To enhance the areas around the best wildlife sites, buffering valuable habitat.
. To create spaces for collaboration and sharing best practice.
. To gain the involvement of local volunteers and organisations in the design, delivery and monitoring of the project.

Help us to create Stepping Stones between Wiltshire's wildlife hotspots

If we can work with people to reconnect the landscape by creating functional links between high quality habitats, then we will be able to reduce the ecological isolation of habitats such as species rich chalk grassland and populations that are at risk, such as the marsh fritillary butterfly. We have started identifying key areas where links will have the greatest ecological impact so that we can start working with landowners to establish appropriate management within an effective corridor.
There are many ways to get involved. For instance, we will want to enhance some areas with wild flower plant plugs grown from seed of local provenance. You might be a local gardener who would like to help us do this, or you may be part of a Garden Club, Horticultural Society, school or community group which might like to be involved?
It is expected that we will be establishing voluntary schemes with farmers on the intervening arable land between areas of high habitat quality, or we may use Environmental Stewardship options, to create corridors and stepping stones. On-going agronomic advice and support will be part of the package so that these corridors and nodes of habitat are maintained and managed well.  For more from the Cranbourne Chase AONB Autumn Newsletter click here.
To get in touch, call David Blake at the AONB Office.

If batteries are thrown into your normal rubbish bin, they are likely to end up in landfill. Once buried, the batteries start to break down and can leak some of these chemicals into the ground. This can cause soil and water pollution.

1. Choosing your battery recycling supplier

The approved schemes are:
. Budget Pack
. BatteryBack
. CCR Rebat
. DHL Battery Compliance
. ERP UK Ltd
. REPIC eBatt
. Valpak
More information about approved schemes.

2. Be informed -Battery recycling general information

You can also take your batteries to your local Household Recycling Centre for more information about recycling facilities in Wiltshire visit Recycle for Wiltshire.
It is advisable to join a registered battery recycling scheme for a number of important reasons.
A scheme will ensure you can comply with the 'Duty of Care' when storing batteries. If you are in possession, or have control of waste, you have a legal 'Duty of Care' to store it safely without causing pollution or harm and to only transfer it to someone who is legally allowed to take it. The Duty of Care applies to everyone who handles waste; from the person who produces the waste to the person who finally recycles or disposes of it. The Duty of Care is one of the main ways to combat fly tipping.
If you move the collected batteries, for example if there are smaller collection buckets in shops but then you as a community group takes the smaller buckets and decants into a larger buckets, then you will need to consult the Environment Agency for advice on the need to have a waste carriers licenses. A battery scheme should go through this with you. More information from DEFRA

3. Sustainability and Funding

The Community Area Grants available from your local Area Board are specifically for charities, community groups, town and parish councils looking to set up a community project in Wiltshire.
For more information about the Community Area Grant scheme please click here.
To view a copy of a successful application is click here.
We recommend you discuss the grant application with the community area manager before applying as they can give you help and advice. Click here for a list.
Additional funding opportunities and further toolkits and projects can be found on the WWCN funding pages.

4. Making the most of the scheme- building on success

Some supported schemes supply posters and promotional materials. Whether this is the case or not ensure that any information on posters or websites or collection points is accurate and includes your group's details. This will ensure that your group is linked to this helpful and practical project and becomes raises your profile with your wider community. You then are known and trusted when you embark on future projects.

5. Do you want to get started?

Then please read and complete WWCN's helpful Community Battery Project action plan by clicking here.

Dark Skies campaign aims to preserve and restore the beauty of the night sky by campaigning against excessive, inefficient and irresponsible lighting.

1. Get the forms

Ask your  Area Board for the Forms and Notes to complete this project.

2. Choose the street lamps

Note the street lamp numbers of the lamps you wish to turn off  (on the posts) and/or location(s) on a map.

3. Inform your vilage

Send out the consult letter informing those affected of the plan for the lights and the options detailed in the notes.

4. Get consent

Generate a consent form and ask all those affected to sign it to demonstrate their consent.

5. Put in your application

Check forms are complete and forward to your Area Board for approval and for forwarding to Council for action.

The UK is one of the least wooded countries in Europe with only 4% native woodland cover.  But we need at least twice as many native trees and woods for the sake of wildlife and people, to combat climate change and improve our environment.

1. Decide on where you want to plant your tree

The trees must be planted by a community group or school on land that people in your area can enjoy and benefit from (not private gardens or land with no public benefit). Get lots of people involved - planting is a great community activity! Your community should be consulted and supportive of your project before you apply.

2.Get permission

Ask the permission of the landowner before applying and find out a grid reference to identify your planting site. Visit the ordnance survey website to look online at your planting site and identify the grid reference. Search for your local area using place name or postcode. Zoom in until you can clearly see the area you have identified for tree planting on your screen. Select the 're-centre' option and then click the centre of the intended planting area to ensure it is in the middle of your screen.  Once you have found your chosen location, look just below the map to see the 'grid reference at centre' information. There will be two letters followed by six numbers (8 characters in total i.e. SK905356). Northern Ireland grid references begin with a single letter (i.e. J338780).

3.Make your pledge here!

4.Apply for your pack here

5.Plant your tree!

Bring your community together to plant free trees from the Woodland Trust - and grow your own food, create new homes for wildlife and bring beautiful autumn colour to your local area.

The Woodland Trust has a fantastic range of FREE tree packs available to communities.

Individual trees, small copses, traditional hedgerows and woodland are invaluable features of thriving neighbourhoods in our villages, towns and cities. They enhance the places where we live, learn, work, rest and play.

British shoppers use more than 17 billion plastic bags per year - the equivalent of 350 for every adult. We use each one on average for only 12 minutes before throwing it away. Plastic bags are destined for landfill almost as soon as they are created, and add to the 2.8 million tonne mound of plastic waste produced in the UK every year. Some ends up in the sea, with every square mile of ocean now containing an average of 46,000 pieces of plastic, which choke and entangle sea birds and mammals.

1 Know your stuff

You need to be able to give informed answers to the questions of traders and shoppers, the first of which is bound to be, 'what's wrong with plastic bags?' Learn about the impact they have on the environment, and about the broader issues such as landfill and unsustainable lifestyles and have other success stories to hand: in Ireland there has been a massive (97.5%) reduction in the number of plastic bags given out since shops started charging for them.

2 Source an alternative

The ideal is to get people to use a reusable bag made from natural, compostable materials. An average cloth bag will save the owner from using at least 1,000 plastic bags. You will also need to find alternative disposable bags for shops to stock while people get into the habit of bringing their own bag, however, and for when they forget. Cornstarch and paper are both used in Modbury, but there are many options. Charging for bags will discourage people from using disposable bags and mean that traders can cover the extra cost of the nonplastic bags, which are more expensive.

3 Marketing & Support

You need a core team, including traders, prepared to do much of the legwork and willing to work together and to try to get the message out to everybody else! Keep the local press up to date and involve as many existing groups as possible. Making postcards and posters to display in shops, and tying in your campaign with other local events such as festivals can also work well. Having a brand or logo is a 'simple way of sending out a strong and coherent message'. 'It's crucial to get all or at least the majority of traders involved,' Handling supermarkets and highstreet chains is one of the biggest difficulties for a community going plastic bag free. Often chain stores need permission from head office, or even for company policy to change before they can act. Contact the area manager of your local supermarkets and other chains right at the beginning of your campaign to inform them of your plan; if they are unresponsive try head office.

4 Funding

'There is no reason why start-up costs should be prohibitive; you just need to work with what you have,' In Modbury, the first town to become plastic-bag free, the start-up costs were kept very low and covered by the traders themselves, who each paid £50 towards bag design, posters and setting up the website. The different campaigns around the UK have found various sources of cash, so look around to see who will support you. Friends of the Earth, local councils and community councils, local chambers of commerce, co-ops and recycling charities have all provided funding for plastic bag free campaigns.

5 The launch

To get the media and residents interested, start your campaign with a bang. In Hebden Bridge, campaigners set themselves a target of getting 80 per cent of shops to remove plastic bags on the launch day. Good PR is essential and a handout of at least one cloth bag per household is also a great idea if you can afford it - 'people love freebies,' says Hosking. For brightly coloured bags made from scrap material at no charge, try Morsbags.