WILTSHIRE Wildlife Trust is calling for volunteers to turn out this Sunday, between 10am and 3pm, at St Mark's open space to help build a reptile hibernacula to keep slow worms and common lizards safe this winter.

The trust will be working in partnership with Salisbury district council, Nicholas Pearson Associates and Naturally Wild Consultants.

Nicholas Pearson Associates, the consultants working on the London Road park-and-ride site, realised protected slow worms and common lizard reptiles might be present.

They contacted the trust, which helped them identify nearby St Mark's open space, a public space off St Mark's Avenue, as a suitable receptor site.

Naturally Wild are specialist consultants working for Nicholas Pearson Associates.

Each hibernacula takes the form of a single shallow excavation dug into the ground and carefully filled in with branches and rubble, leaving lots of nooks and crannies inside for reptiles.

They are then covered with topsoil, so that they blend into their surroundings.

The trust's Salisbury community wildlife officer, Martin Gilchrist, said: "Slow worms are completely harmless - about the biggest thing they can manage to eat is a big juicy slug, so you don't need to worry about them when you are out enjoying the fresh air in these areas.

"They love to bask under rocks and stones, so over the summer, sheets of roofing felt and corrugated iron will be placed on the ground at the proposed park-and-ride site to attract them, so they can be collected and moved to their new location."

The construction of the hibernacula is the first part of wildlife habitat improvement works to make sure the area is able to support its new residents.

Management of the areas of long grass and scrub will also play an important part.

Anyone wishing to take part should be at St Mark's open space at 10am with a packed lunch and suitable outdoor clothing.

Everything else is provided.

For more information, call the trust on 01722 790770.