Finland’s first herp trail was erected this week in the Särkkäniemi nature reserve in Helsinki.
In Uutela of Vuosaari, in the middle of the Särkkäniemi nature reserve, there are two ponds that cover an area slightly smaller than a football field.
Almost all of the reptiles and amphibians found in Finland can be observed at the foot of these ponds and the shores and paths that surround them.
Right now, at the turn of April-May, all three species of frogs found in our country are spawning in the ponds.
In the peripheral areas of the ponds, the lizard and the shore snake also thrive. In addition, in the area you can see the viper, the water lizard that breeds in the ponds, or the continent, and the copperhead.
This week, guide signs were erected in the Särkkäniemi area, with which you can learn more about the reptiles and amphibians in the area, or herps. The environmental services of the city of Helsinki have produced Herppipolu in cooperation with the Helsinki Nature Conservation Society. The contents of the trail’s guide boards are prepared by Antti Koli.
According to Koli, the herpipolku is the first in Finland and rare even on a world scale.
Construction is a danger to nature
Uutelan’s Särkkäniemi is a rare nature site, located next to a heavily built environment. Vuosaari harbor is less than half a kilometer from the eastern tip of Särkkäniemi.
Helsinki’s recent water and beach construction projects have had a significant impact on fish stocks.
Frogs like to return year after year to the same spawning ground. However, due to environmental change, construction and tillage, frogs in urban areas often have to look for new spawning grounds.
Antti Koli likes the principle aligned with Helsinki’s strategy, according to which at least five new nature reserves are established in the city every year.
Last year, three areas were protected in Uutela, but Koli thinks the goals could be even higher.
– In the opinion of the Pro Uutela movement, the entire Uutela area should be protected, and I think it is justified. This is one of Helsinki’s finest natural areas, where nothing should be built.
Now is the best time to get close to nature
April-May is the golden time for nature hikers. In Särkkäniemi’s ponds, the reproduction period of frogs and frogs lasts only a few weeks, after which they are harder to spot.
According to Antti Koli, the best advice for observing nature is to slow down.
– You should slow down your walking speed considerably. It is worth stopping to listen to the sounds of frogs, and you can stop in sunny places to see if you can see groundhogs or beach snakes sunbathing there.
However, you shouldn’t get too close. You should keep a distance of a few meters from reptiles and amphibians. In the surroundings of the Särkkäniemi ponds, there is a great opportunity to learn to distinguish the sounds of frogs found in Finland.
– The cloaked frog gurgles, the frog has a lower croak and the toad has a slightly higher croak that can be heard from afar. It’s easy to learn to tell them apart, Antti Koli assures.
*You can discuss the topic on 29.4. until 11 p.m.*