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By Cumbria Wildlife Trust
Northern Dune Tiger Beetle on dune system at Ainsdale Nature Reserve, Merseyside, UK. May. Photographer: Alex Hyde. The stunning 180-mile Cumbrian coastline is a wonderful place to explore sand dunes and discover the specialist wildlife that can be found amongst these everchanging mountains of sand. Various plants and animals thrive within the varying habitats of the dune system, and Cumbria’s dunes are home to some exceptionally scarce species, such as the natterjack toad, dune helleborine and coralroot orchid. Natterjack toads are extremely rare amphibians and around half of their UK breeding sites are found in Cumbria. A number of characteristics differentiate the natterjack from the common toad.
Cumbria is among a select few sites where the natterjack toad can be spotted in the UK. Dynamic Dunescapes and Amphibian and Reptile Conservation are looking for volunteers to record sightings of the amphibians at locations including Walney Island and the Millom area. The natterjack toad is at risk because its habitat is being damaged. Visit the current volunteering opportunities section of cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk for more information. rare natterjack toads on Cumbria’s coast Smaller than the common toad, the natterjack toad is very rare, found in only around 60 places in the UK. We are lucky enough to have a few of these sites here in Cumbria and you now have the opportunity to help with the conservation of this threatened amphibian.