Over the past two years, the Friends of Murphys Point Park have been able to conduct some exciting research related to a threatened species population thanks to a multi-year Species at Risk Stewardship Fund grant for the project “Gray Ratsnake Stewardship and Population Monitoring on the Frontenac Arch.”

Last year, an ecologist (Constance Browne) worked to analyse data that has been collected over 30 years in order to make recommendations about the nature of continued monitoring and research. This year the Friends have hired a technician to do the field monitoring. The big component of this phase of the project is to select a few snakes that would be suitable for radio telemetry. In a nutshell, they will be tracked throughout the season to determine, in particular, where they are hibernating in order for the park to enhance protection efforts.

We will be sharing a information about this project throughout the summer here on our website and also on Facebook and Twitter. Check the links to the right on this page to Like Us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Our technician, Brock Ogilvie, will be updating us regularly on Twitter @grayratsnake – check it out!

Click here to read articles about Brock’s activities so far.

Gray Ratsnake Technician Brock Ogilvie releasing a GRS at a hibernaculum in the spring.