'Heartwarming' award win for trust's frog project

A wildlife conservation trust working to save a native frog species says it is "incredibly proud" after winning an award for the work.

Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust has been safeguarding Jersey's agile frog - the island's only native species of the animal - since 2001, following a steady population decline.

It has helped thousands of froglets back into the wild through its Agile Frog Recovery Programme, which has been recognised as the Best Conservation Project Award at the Conservation Awards.

Ciaran Westgate, curator of herpetology at the trust, said he is "super proud" of his team, with prize money from the win to help boost research and efforts around the species.

"It's just really heartwarming to get the recognition for all the hard work that everyone's been doing," Westgate said.

"We've learned so much from working so intensely with a small population.

"There's been so many research projects over the years since we started the programme that have meant we've learned a lot about the natural history of the species, the biology of the species and we are still learning more now."

He said his team had three research projects this year which would help them better understand and protect the agile frog species.

The frog was once spread across Jersey, but various factors, including a pesticide spill, have restricted it to two small areas on the west of the island.

Westgate said the goal of the conservation work is to "ultimately save a species" and have a "positive impact on the ecosystem the species exists within".

He added his team has recently completed its "species action plan" which will guide their work over the next 10 years.

Westgate said the project is "longstanding" and the aim with the agile frog is to "establish strong genetic populations across the island again".

Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.