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How Does The Toad Cross The Road?

For the past four years the Fraser Valley Conservancy, a land trust in British Columbia, has been closing roads to help the provincially blue listed Western Toad migrate safely to the other side. The project has two main observation periods. During the spring FVC staff monitors adult amphibians as they migrate to and from the wetlands to breed, while during the summer months they monitor the mass migration event for the juvenile toadlets. While the toadlets migrate during the summer FVC works closely with local residents and city officials to close sections of public roads to help prevent motorists from squishing the threatened species.

Over the past century roads were built across the migration paths of these small amphibians and as car traffic increases people are becoming a serious danger to the toad population. However closing the roads is only a short-term solution. FVC is working to find at a long term solution that meets the needs of both toads and people alike.

This past summer FVC staff organized an experimental toad crossing structure. Using directional fencing to guide the provincially blue-listed species, the toads hopped through a structure modelled after a cattle guard to allow for a safe and natural passage. The early results indicate that the Western Toad is agreeable to using these structures. For the 2012 Western Toad migration FVC is hoping to install an amphibian crossing into one of the roads affected, however this comes with a price tag in the neighbourhood of approximately $20,000.

This past summer the staff at FVC has been amazed by the response from the local community, people throughout the Fraser Valley, and across North America. Through recent media exposure the story about the Ryder Lake toads have touched the hearts of many, so many in fact that the conservancy has received over $1600 in donations during the migration event! In addition to these individual donations, FVC also received a funding grant from the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation for the overall project.

With a ninety-nine percent mortality rate in nature, the Western Toads are facing further pressure on their remaining one percent from vehicular related deaths. With three migrations across the roads each year, the number of deaths is on the rise. Not only will the crossing structures help the toad, they will also help other species make it to the other side.

A wide variety of salamanders, newts, frogs, and toads are known to migrate to and from the surrounding wetlands. Working together with the community of Ryder Lake, the City of Chilliwack, and people concerned about declining toad populations, the Fraser Valley Conservancy can help the Western Toad species continue its millennia old migration.

To donate to this project you can: Send a cheque payable to the Fraser Valley Conservancy PO BOX 2026 Abbotsford BC V2T 3T8 or go to www.fraservalleyconservancy.ca and look for the purple donate button

By Suzie MacMillan & Ken Wuschke

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