Volunteer for Snake Relocation at Glory Hills

Edmonton and Area Land Trust Volunteer Recruitment - Snake Relocation

If you're interested in gaining experience with a hands-on wildlife relocation project, we have an opportunity for you!

About: Since 2022, the Edmonton and Area Land Trust has conducted a relocation initiative for Red-sided gartersnakes very close to one of our conservation lands, maskihkîy meskanaw - Glory Hills. The Edmonton and Area Land Trust (EALT) was informed of a garter snake hibernaculum located just outside the boundary of Glory Hills Conservation Land in Parkland County. Fish and Wildlife Biologists relocated some snakes that neighbours had caught in a bucket and released them inside of EALT’s Glory Hills site.

The current snake den is next to a paved township road in the ditch, making snakes that move onto the road for warmth at risk of being run over. This snake den was most likely unintentionally created when road access and a culvert were developed for the subdivision.

In collaboration with Alberta Government Species at Risk Biologists and an Alberta Conservation Association biologist and herptile expert, EALT created an artificial hibernaculum at the Glory Hills property in late summer 2022. In early fall, biologists and volunteers monitored the old hibernaculum for snakes returning to this location, trapped them, and relocated them to the new hibernaculum. Exclusion fencing around the new hibernaculum was used to prevent the translocated snakes from moving back to the old hibernaculum, and force them to use the new artificial one with the intention of having them adopt the new site in the future, making the less safe roadside location less attractive.

This project continued in 2023, and our results suggest that we've been successful in encouraging snakes to use the human-made hibernaculum. This was further corroborated by our findings in Spring 2024 trapping sessions during the snakes' spring emergence.

To continue this effort, EALT is now recruiting volunteers to assist us with the relocation effort in Fall of 2024.

When: September 3rd until October 11th.
Each day will have shifts available in both the morning (anytime between 8:00 am - 11:00 am) and the evening (anytime from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm). You can sign up for as many or as few shifts as you would like. This will be coordinated via a scheduling website called SignUp.

Where: This project takes place at Glory Hills Conservation Land, which you can view on Google Maps here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5DDozSwvoCkE2bmy6

• A mobile phone capable of sending and receiving text messages
• Access to a vehicle (due to the remote location)
• A second person to accompany you while you complete your shift for safety (doesn't have to be another trained volunteer)
• A sense of discretion given the sensitive nature of this project
• Experience handling reptiles or wildlife considered an asset

How to sign up: 
If you're interested in this opportunity, please add your name to the form below:
https://form.jotform.com/242264643210043