The Herpetofauna Workers Meeting is, for many involved in the conservation of amphibians and reptiles in the UK, the highlight of the calendar and this year was no different. With a varied programme of presentations and workshops, and plenty of opportunity for networking, the 2025 conference was a great success.

This annual conference organised in partnership by Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) and Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK (ARG UK) was held on 1st & 2nd February 2025 at Mercure Sheffield St Paul's Hotel & Spa in Sheffield City Centre.

The first jam-packed day of the conference was opened by Dr Tony Gent, CEO of ARC. He was joined by Angus Hunter from Sheffield City Council who shared some local insights and details of projects in the area.

We then moved on to the first set of presentations which featured bioacoustic monitoring for natterjack toads, a Scottish Citizen Science project focusing on slow-worms, and guidance on road mitigation for herpetofauna.

After a break for refreshments and the first chance to explore the conference market place, delegates took part in their chosen day one workshops. The workshops available were: “Reptile Survey and Mitigation for Peatland Habitats”, “Rewilding - what does it mean for amphibians and reptiles?”, “Improving perceptions of adders” and “Protecting Herptiles of the British Isles: Investigating Best Practices for Biosecurity”. The workshop sessions give delegates the opportunity to delve deeper into their chosen subject and spark insightful conversations.

Once everyone had enjoyed a delicious lunch, attendees moved back to the main hall for the afternoon talks. These included presentations on Favourable Conservation Status (FCS), 20 years of Derbyshire Amphibian and Reptile Group, Important Herpetofauna Areas (IHAs), great crested newt ponds and District Licensing, amphibian disease and Ice Age ponds.

Sheffield provided attendees with an extra treat this year, showing off its vibrant and multicultural community with Chinese New Year celebrations held in the square outside the conference venue. This was even more special as 2025 is the year of the snake!

Saturday evening saw the return of the three course Gala Dinner and infamous Have I Got Newts For You quiz. This relaxed social evening gives delegates an opportunity to network and connect with friends and colleagues old and new, as well as having a chance to show off their creative skills in the limerick and crafting rounds.

The first session on Sunday morning focused on all things common lizards. This included talks on ground-truthing a process-based model in Oxfordshire, exploring habitat complexity and preferences in Howth, Co. Dublin, and ecomorphology across contrasting habitats.

After our second and final workshop session of the weekend and a break for lunch, delegates enjoyed the last set of talks of this year’s conference. These featured an update on the Scottish National Adder Survey, 15 Years of Britain's Most Northerly ARG, and a Citizen Science study on population trends of common frog. The conference was then closed by Chris Monk, Chair of ARG UK.

ARC and ARG UK would like to say a big thank you to all those who attended this year’s conference, with special thanks to all of the speakers, workshop leads and organisers. We are also hugely grateful for our 2025 sponsors for their invaluable support.

If you would like more information about the conference presentations and workshops the full Conference Programme and Presentation Abstracts are available for download. You can also keep an eye on the ARC YouTube channel for upcoming episodes of our behind the scenes podcast hosted by ARC Trustee, Howard Inns.

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Thank you to this year's sponsors: