Saving frogs after winter – spring amphibian protection actions begin

Frogs can already feel spring in the air. They are leaving their wintering sites and setting out toward water bodies. Unfortunately, many of these routes are a real minefield for them – they encounter dangerous obstacles such as roads, pedestrian and cycling paths, and railway lines. Amphibian protection actions organized in several places across Poland are meant to help them safely reach their breeding sites.

Is it spring? It’s Frog Action time!

Nature is coming back to life, and amphibians are setting out on their journey. A long one (water frogs or pool frogs can travel up to 15 km), a dangerous one, and in many cases – a deadly one. They must move from their wintering sites to water bodies in order to reproduce. Not all of them succeed. During spring migrations, in some places between 30 and even 50 percent of the population die.

Frog protection actions aim to reduce the scale of this unfavorable phenomenon. They take place across Poland. One of the oldest initiatives is the one launched in 2006 by the Lower Silesian Landscape Parks Complex. In the Barycz Valley, frog protection actions have been organized since 2016. Similar activities are carried out in Magura National Park and Karkonosze National Park.

Protection actions: education and active measures

In places where frogs most often cross roads, mesh fences are installed. Their complement are PVC pipes that act as slowing devices. Amphibians that fall into the pipes are collected by volunteers and then carried in buckets to the other side of the road. This task is for the persistent – the work is tedious and takes place in the mornings and evenings. However, it brings satisfaction, an opportunity to connect with nature, and the feeling of truly contributing to nature protection.

In the Barycz Valley Landscape Park, field activities are accompanied by educational classes for primary school students. Children and teenagers learn how to identify amphibian species and become familiar with the rules for safely conducting work near their habitats. In addition, 100 volunteers from schools monitor the fences along the roads and count the amphibians found. The culmination of the protection action will be the Frog Festival organized in May or June.

Volunteers welcome

In the Barycz Valley Landscape Park, about 10.5 thousand amphibians belonging to 10 species were saved in 2023. It would not be possible to operate on such a scale without volunteers. This year it will also be possible to join actions aimed at saving frogs. Volunteers are currently being sought by Karkonosze National Park. Activities will be carried out near roads in Michałowice and Sobieszów.

Amphibian crisis in Poland and Europe

It is not the famous African and Asian mammals, but amphibians that are the most threatened with extinction worldwide. They need large areas of wetland habitats to live. Meanwhile, marshes and wetlands are disappearing – they are drained or built over. Amphibians are also harmed by the intensive development of road infrastructure. Asphalt roads, railway lines, and sidewalks become serious obstacles for them during spring migrations. Frogs and other amphibians die in large numbers under car wheels every spring.

This problem can be addressed in two ways. One of them is temporary protection actions carried out in spring: temporary closure of transport routes, carrying amphibians across roads in buckets, and installing special signs for drivers. It is also worth investing in long-term solutions: designing infrastructure in a way that facilitates migration for frogs, toads, and newts. Culverts under roads are a lifeline for animals, and above all roads should be designed so that they bypass the areas around their habitats. It is also very important to preserve water bodies already at the stage of investment planning and to take actions aimed at retaining water in the environment for as long as possible.