"Greenworks" - Association for the active animals' protection

GB No. 2(17)/95

"GREENWORKS"
- ASSOCIATION FOR THE ACTIVE ANIMALS' PROTECTION

1. Who are we?

"Greenworks" was officially registered on March 8, 1994. This association attracts many who realise that up until now most forms of environmental preservation of various species have been ineffective. We propose and implement a series of practical steps which efficiently protect the main habitats of several endangered species. These steps include ones already in use in Western Europe and America. They effectively lower the death rate of many species and lead to an increase in their number in areas which are actively protected.

Our newts are in good hands.

2. What do we do?

This association has impliemented an expanded Project of Active Amphibian Protection (since 1992) as well as a Project for Active Reptile Protection (begun in 1993).

The actual work involves:

building and rebuilding breeding grounds
transferring populations of endangered areas to safer habitats
breeding amphibians in captivity in order to increase their population in endangered areas
widespread educational activities including publications, lectures, workshops and field work
cataloguing species and breeding grounds.

3. What you can do?

You can start to protect amphibians (and other animals) in your neighbourhood. In your first free day from school, go to the suburbs and look at what is living in a pond or puddle. You may be surprised because there are many other things in the water besides amphibians.

You can write to "Greenworks". We can send you free educational material (also in English, if you like) if you send us money for stamps (approx. $0.30 for Europe, 3500zł for Poland) and your address.

You can make a difference if you put your mind to it.

Amphibians we protect:

Green Toad (Bufo viridis)

The green toad is one of the most beautiful colored Polish amphibians. It has irregular green spots scattered on a coffee-yellow background. It appears mainly in lowlands and hills. It likes gardens, fields and very often comes into cellars and other buildings. It is considered a synanthropical species. It stays in one place for life and this makes it more useful to humans. It is an inestimable gardener's friend when it comes to overcoming pests.

4. Who supports us?

Field work is the most important and at the same time the least expensive. Digging, deepening ponds and transferring frogs or egg sacs require only good will.

Printing educational materials and organising conferences does require support. Here are our precious sponsors:

Dept. of Environmental Protection, Nowy Sšcz
District Dept., Nowy Sšcz
Polish Youth Foundation
Van Doen Foundation (Holland)
Scenic Park of Poprad

as well as many companies and individuals to whom we would once again like to extend our thanks.

I like amphibians
(by Wojtek Biedron & Rafal Sójka)

For two years we've been working with amphibian protection work. It gives us the possibility of immediate contact with wild animals and so we can increase our knowledge about the life of amphibians. We want people to know the positive aspect of their presence in the environment and to consider them our allies.

Almost all Polish species of Amphibians can be found in Beskid Sšdecki. They are endangered, but we hope, thanks to our help, they will manage to survive. Although we are not biology students and our "professional" interests are different, we like them.

Amphibians we protect.

Montandon's newt (Triturus montandoni)

The carpathian ewt can reach a length of 10-20cm. It is clay yellow with two furrows on its back. This endemic species is found only in the Carpathian region. It can be found breeding in small, cold ponds from April to July. The male has no specific coloring for the mating period but instead has a thin string at the end of its tail. This species is classified as "very rare" by the Polish Red Book of Animals.

"Greenworks" working in Rytro, spring 1994

I like amphibians
(by Luiza Pietrzycka)

I come to Rytro often because it's one of the most scenic areas in our district. One autumn I found that someone had dumped broken tiles and stones along a forest path and in amphibian breeding ground. I decided to do something about it.

In early spring I spotted some mountain newts among the rubble and decided to clean the pond. After a few hours I managed to remove the surface trash and stones. A week later I found 20 egg sacs from grass frogs. I was really proud of myself watching the development of the tadpoles. I am happy that some will survive to adulthood.

STOWARZYSZENIE NA RZECZ CZYNNEJ OCHRONY ZWIERZĄT "GREENWORKS"
Limanowskiego 7
33-300 Nowy Sącz
tel. 48/18/421759

GB No. 2(17)/95 | Contents