‘Helping toads cross roads’

Between February and April, when the temperature is not too low (above 6 °C) and the humidity is high, toads and other amphibians migrate back to their birth grounds.

Close to my home, toads need to cross a busy road before they arrive at the pool they grew up in. To ensure the toads overcome the obstactle of this road, a volunteer group is active since 2013. With a temporary barrier screen alongside the road, the amphibians are caught before they attempt to cross. Subsequently, volunteers carry them across during a morning or evening shift.

This year I’m volunteering again and it’s a lovely task helping these toads cross roads.

With the relatively soft temperatures of the past two weeks the migration has fully set in; one morning last week, a volunteering primary school class helped 101 toads, 23 frogs, and 1 salamander across!

If you would like to know more, or find out if there’s an active volunteer group in your neighbourhood, click here.

Some of the beautiful toads (and salamanders) I’ve encountered so far:

For a local update on the number of toads we’ve helped cross the road, click here.

Back