The yellow-bellied toad greets us every day

This year, Arbeitseinsatz.ch is once again working with students from the city of Zurich for the nature schools. The students can expect a morning full of mud, dirt and lots of fun. The theme of our missions in 2023 is the yellow-bellied toad. A very rare species of amphibian that can only be found in small bodies of water that regularly dry out. Since a large part of their habitat has been destroyed by the canalization of our rivers, artificial bodies of water are vital for the survival of the yellow-bellied toad.

The school class arrives at the meeting point full of energy. We don't want to dampen their enthusiasm, so we keep the greeting brief. After an introduction to occupational safety, we get started: To give everyone the opportunity to work at the same time, we divide the class into four groups. While the first group builds a new pond, the second cleans the existing ponds. The other groups cut back fast-growing trees such as hazel and clear the forest floor of blackberries.

During the “morning break” the students enjoy the syrup bar with our specialty, Himalayan balsam syrup. Once they have had enough food and refreshment, the class continues with an introduction to the meaning and purpose of the work. The students learn about the background of the work and why their work is so important.

Then everyone gets to work again. But soon the morning is over and the class heads home, dirty but happy. Only the yellow-bellied toads stay and are happy to have a new home!