West Country toad crossing operation hailed a success
Hundreds of toads have been saved thanks to volunteers and local transport firms
Buses and local trucks operators have been praised by volunteers supporting an annual Somerset toad migration.
Hundreds of animals were helped to reach the Woodland Trust-owned Haddon Wood, near Castle Cary, to breed.
Woodland Trust Volunteer Hilary Harrison said the migration began in February and over several weeks the patrol saved hundreds of common toads, as well as protecting great crested and smooth newts.
She said: “When the land for Haddon was donated in 2013, the Woodland Trust agreed to install a pond. With their help and that of a group of volunteers we made a natural pond which we decided to leave for nature to takeover. Clearly lots of amphibians have taken a liking to the pond; they’ve spawned here before and this year the mass migration shows they are coming back to do so again.
“I could get very depressed with the state of the world, and this feels like just a tiny thing that some of us can do, that really makes a difference. If it encourages other people to set up toad patrols and help, then it’s a good thing.”
The volunteers were out from sunset to 10pm on evenings when the weather is right - toads only launch their journeys when it is wet, and the temperature is higher than five degrees. The volunteers’ job is to encourage traffic to slow and aid the amphibians across the road from Alhampton.
Conservationist Dave Boyer, who coordinates toad patrols for FrogLife, assisted by the Reptile and Amphibian Group of Somerset, was first alerted to this migration in February 2020 by a lorry driver who uses the route and was concerned to see the numbers of toads that were being squashed.
He said: “Toads attempt to go back to the pond they were born in – roughly the same time each year. They migrate on warm damp evenings mid- February until the end of March. In the following months the adults then gradually disperse into the countryside - within a mile or so of the pond - to damp vegetation.
“It is a fascinating journey. If conditions are not ideal, they simply will not breed. This may well be the case this year due to very unsuitable weather: too many evenings with low temperatures, strong wind, and no rain. But they are long lived animals and therefore it is a better strategy to wait for another year than to risk death.”
Dave Edon of South West Coaches is one of several businesses that are adapting to the annual migration. He said: “When the Toad Patrol flag up the start of the migration, we alert all our drivers to slow down on this route and keep an eye out for toads. If they see them crossing, they’ll halt the bus and wait. It’s important that we do anything we can to preserve nature and it’s brilliant to see how the Toad Patrol are helping.”
The local Toad Patrol coordinator for this route is Angela Piggott who said: “Despite our best-efforts toads and newts are sadly still squashed on the road. Last year we rescued nearly 700 toads as well as great crested and smooth newts. However, we’ve been struggling this year with adverse weather. The toads need conditions to be right to be active. It needs to be wet and the temperature higher than 5 degrees. So far in 2022 numbers are only half of last years. We’re hoping it will pick up, that we’ll soon see a cavalry charge and will be there to help them.
“It can take several minutes for them to cross the road and sometimes they change their mind and go back the other way! Although there are always loads more males than females, occasionally we come across massive females, which we’re now nicknaming “Big Berthas”, who are full of toad spawn, ready to lay and will produce lots of baby toads.Â
“It's wonderful to see the continuity of nature with toads who were born in the pond coming back to spawn and we hope that will see that numbers are holding well for many years to come. We don't have that many amphibians in this country, only frogs, toads and newts so if we can give a leg up for these little chaps, we're very happy. I get a huge sense of satisfaction after an evening of toad patrolling, knowing that I've deposited 25 or so toads into the safety of the pond.”
Woodland Trust site manager Paul Allen added: “This migration of toads is a success story amongst a climate change and nature emergency. This hardy group of volunteers worked tirelessly to create the pond and nature has just taken over.”
The land at Haddon Wood was donated to the Trust in 2013 and planted as new native woodland. It also features open glades wide sweeping rides, the pond and community orchard.
For more about Haddon Wood click here