Volunteers crossed more than 10,000 amphibians over roads this spring, the most they’ve ever recorded in a single season.
“Part of that was the weather, part of it was great volunteers,” said Brett Amy Thelen, science director at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock. She has been organizing the amphibian crossing nights (salamander crossing brigades) through the Harris Center for 16 years.
“When we started we had a half-dozen sites; this year we had 41,” she said. And they had 350 volunteers.
“The more people out looking the more creatures you will see,” she said.
Amphibians like spring peepers, wood frogs and spotted salamanders migrate during rainy spring nights once the ground has thawed enough and the temperature is warm enough for them to make the trip to vernal pools and wetlands to lay their eggs. During these nights, thousands of animals are crossing roads and a lot of creatures get hit, but with a helping hand volunteers can make that journey one step safer.
“One thing that really expanded volunteer involvement was offering trainings on Zoom,” Thelen said. “People from 16 different states showed up, and our hope is that they’ll take what they’ve learned and bring it back to their own communities.”
The trainings discuss why amphibians are important, how to identify species, safety when working near roads and when handling the amphibians and how to keep count of species moved.
And for those volunteers in the Monadnock region, “When the weather looks promising we send an email out to let them know,” Thelen said. “What we say is ‘Come if you can and stay as long as you’d like.’”
Thelen said that there’s one amphibian in particular that surprises first-time volunteers.
“Even though I’ve seen thousands, it’s so exciting to watch people see a spotted salamander for the first time,” she said.
These salamanders can live 20 to 30 years and can grow six to 10 inches long, and “even though they live all around us” they spend most of their lifetimes underground. So on migration nights when they’re on the move, “it’s amazing to see them,” Thelen said.
In collaboration with the City of Keene, one road was closed completely and one was closed to through traffic for crossings this season. These are the only two road closures for amphibian migration in New Hampshire. This makes the process safer for volunteers and more family friendly. The movement has been growing over the last few years, and Thelen said it’s inspiring to see “families next to college students” on those nights.
With global amphibian populations in decline and amphibian roadkill a big problem, naturalists like Thelen know that community awareness and participation can make a difference. Fortunately, the amphibians here have been mostly spared from the most-devastating effects of climate change, habitat loss, pollution and disease. But Thelen said, “We are starting to observe that the season is starting earlier each year. April used to be the start of the season. Now it starts more often in mid-March.”
Environmentalists are concerned how this may affect amphibian life cycles. Most amphibians breed in vernal pools, and recently there has been a smaller snow pack, which fills the vernal pools up in the spring, and then vernal pools are drying up faster. Amphibians already have to develop quickly to be able to survive on land, and this process relies on a consistent ecosystem.
“It’s moving to see how people connect to it,” Thelen said. “The world is a really daunting place; it’s hard to feel hopeful. This offers opportunities to help wildlife and do something that is truly making a difference. It’s powerful for people and powerful for me too. There are times when I’m tired and don’t want to go out in the rain, but I never regret it. Once I’m out there it’s just magic.”