If you drive on Summer Street in Peterborough on a warm, rainy, spring night, beware of the beams of light: amphibians are crossing.
As winter transitions to spring, more than 100 trained volunteers prepare to converge on streets throughout the Monadnock region to help some of nature’s smallest cross the road so they can successfully breed.
“It’s a magical experience, especially when the conditions are ideal and we have thousands of spotted salamanders, peepers and wood frogs crossing the roads we monitor in one night,” said Brett Amy Thelen, science director at Harris Center for Conservation Education, who runs the Salamander Crossing Brigade. “It’s a great way to have fun and connect with nature.”
Those interested in joining the volunteer group, Salamander Crossing Brigade, or learning about salamander migratory habits can come to a free training session at the Harris Center at 83 Kings Highway in Hancock on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.
The event is free and open to the public, and only one training session is needed to volunteer. Those interested in attending will learn about the phenomenon of salamander migration, how to identify various species of amphibians, the ecological significance of the animals, and how to stay safe while volunteering.
While there is only one established crossing route in the area – Summer Street in Peterborough – there are a number of “anecdotal” crossings, which are areas in which crossings have been reported and the brigade would like to research further. These roads are in Dublin, Rindge, Peterborough, Hancock, Antrim, Lyndeborough and Wilton.
Spotted salamanders, wood frogs and peepers are the three primary species that are encountered during the crossing experiences. Their migration season typically lasts throughout spring, as soon as the ground thaws and the weather warms above 40 degrees. Thelen says the migration to the vernal pools is extremely consistent, making monitoring relatively easy.
As nocturnal creatures, these three species will attempt to cross the road from their habitat to their breeding grounds only during the night, and more so, only when it is wet and warm. Migration back to the woods isn’t as consistent, according to Thelen, as each species has a different breeding length.
“When I first heard about it, I had an image in my head of a group of salamanders, marching one by one across the road,” said Sarah P. Wilson, of Keene, who has been volunteering to save the salamanders for a decade. “It wasn’t exactly like I pictured, but once you start, you can’t stop.”
Wilson began volunteering with her daughter when she was in fifth grade, and the two continued to go together until she went to college. Entrenched in the magic of salamander crossing, Wilson continues to help.
“When spring comes along, I’m thinking of it all the time,” said Wilson, who keeps a bucket with a flashlight, reflective vest, and a shovel in her car around this time of year. “If its raining, I’m out there.”
While a fun experience, salamander crossing isn’t without its hardships. Volunteers often get wet, and are asked to scrape dead amphibians off the road, as live and dead animals are tallied every night to monitor local populations.
And with the conditions having to be so specific, volunteers often won’t know in advance if they’ll be headed out to help.
“I check the weather reports at least 10 times a day this time of year,” said Thelen, who said on average, people volunteer from 8 p.m. to 10 or 11 p.m. “We don’t expect people to stay out longer than they are comfortable. We try to get out there during the busiest hours, as there is more traffic out.”
Salamander crossing may not be the most glorious volunteer work, but it serves an important function. While the animals aren’t endangered at this time, Thelen said the goal is to ensure that amphibians continue to populate the local ecosystem. Not only do they eat a lot of bugs and other things, Thelen said, they also serve as a food source for many other creatures.
While volunteers are not bound to volunteer a certain number of days or years, Thelen says many stay on and help for many years.
“It’s a simple way to be helpful and it’s amazing to be out in nature,” said Kathy Schillemat, a10-year veteran from Nelson. “It may be a small task in the scheme of things, but it can make a big difference.”
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.