How Patrols will work during Covid restrictions
The current government guidance is listed here. You are permitted to leave home to provide voluntary services and for daily exercise. Toadwatch has consulted with Norfolk Police and their test is whether it is 'necessary' to leave home to perform the service. Whilst we hope that traffic levels will be low during lockdown, we also know that the male toads will sit on quiet roads so that they can spot the incoming females! This means that a single car can kill many toads. So yes we do consider it to be necessary that we patrol as usual.
The advice below is mostly what people on toad patrol will be doing anyway. We patrol after dusk when it is often raining, it is very rare for other people to be at the patrol sites at the same time. It should not be hard to remain Covid safe during toad patrol! We will update this advice if circumstances change.
Things you should do
- Try to patrol with members of your existing bubble (ie people
that you live with or are part of your support bubble). At
most patrols it is sufficient to have just 2 patrollers, especially
if traffic levels are reduced.
- Stay a minimum of 2m apart from people not in your bubble - most patrollers
walk a figure of 8 and cross with the other person at the mid point
of the patrol.
- Wear a mask when talking to people not in your bubble. Be
careful not get too close when looking at
a handsome toad in
someone else's bucket, ask them to put the bucket on the ground
first.
- In some places other people may not understand why we are patrolling during lockdown, take a mask so that you can talk to them and explain. Try to stay 2m apart even from your own bubble members if other people are watching as they won't know that you are in a bubble.
Things you should not do
- Avoid sharing torches etc with anyone not in your bubble.
Don't touch your face without cleaning your hands first - or wear
gloves to keep your hands clean. This is good practice anyway
if you have been picking up toads. If you travel to the patrol
site then take some water and a towel so that you can clean your
hands before touching your steering wheel etc.
- Don't transfer hand sanitiser to the toads!
Amphibians have porous skin and the chemicals in hand sanitiser can
enter their bloodstream. If you have recently used hand
sanitiser then please either wash your hands or use gloves before
picking up the toads.
- Most patrollers can walk or cycle to the patrol site.
- Don't share a lift with someone who is not in your bubble.
- Don't travel more than 5 miles to a site - unless there is
no one else available. We have to be mindful of the
guidance from the Police to do only what is necessary.
We are very visible when out on patrol and must not do anything
that would attract negative publicity for toad patroling.
- Don't go out on patrol if you are in any way unwell.
