At this time of year as part of a national campaign to help save the Common Toad from mass road mortalities (Toads on Roads), volunteers are gearing up to help amphibians across busy roads.
Over the next few weeks and months volunteers will help carry toads over the busy roads to help these animals as they move towards their breeding ponds.
“In 2013 volunteer toad patrollers saved over 74,254 toads at 132 crossing sites. This is a fantastic result especially as we know that this is the minimum number saved as some crossings don’t submit data. Sadly toads and other amphibians are still killed by traffic on manned patrol sites.
Imagine sites where there are only one or two people trying desperately to save animals or where there are no patrollers because there are no volunteers or it’s too dangerous to patrol?” Says Sivi Sivanesan – Public Engagement Officer for Froglife.
The common toad -a charismatic amphibian with warty skin and waddling gait- is thought to be experiencing large scale declines and local extinctions in the UK and the situation is probably made much worst by the effect of road traffic as toads travel slowly back to breeding ponds, often used for generations.
The extremely dedicated volunteers saving the toads are the vital element of a national campaign called ‘Toads on Roads’, coordinated by Froglife, they come from all walks of life, from concerned individuals living locally, small volunteer groups and amphibian and reptile groups and have a common aim to help save these charismatic amphibians from being killed on Britain’s roads.
With the help of volunteers from Heaser Business Consulting Ltd . Froglife have launched a new interactive map that shows you where you can find you’re nearest registered crossing.
“Patrol sites need your help to keep patrols active year after year. We hope that the new interactive map will help boost volunteer numbers at sites by making it easier and quicker to find a site near their postcode, and contact the registered patrol group directly” Says Sivi Sivanesan.
What you can do:
- Over the coming weeks, hundreds of volunteers will be gearing up to help toads across the UK’s roads, in a coordinated effort to help save the toads and other amphibians from road traffic. If you want to join in have a look at the new interactive map and get in touch with your nearest toad patrol site today.
This work wouldn’t have been possible without all of the hard work by John Heaser and his team at Heaser Business Consulting Ltd and Froglife would like to extend our thanks to for producing a really usable and effective map that will help with Toads on Roads volunteering recruitment going forward.
