Charlcombe Lane closes to protect migrating toads. Volunteers help amphibians reach breeding grounds safely.
The Charlcombe Toad Rescue Group aids toads, frogs, and newts, moving them to their breeding lake. Volunteers patrol the road at dusk, wearing bright jackets and using lights.
Volunteers use torches and buckets to escort over 3,000 amphibians. The road section is a half-mile long, and volunteers will put in 600 hours to aid this important conservation work.
Rescuers use special gloves lacking latex and powder. They collect toads, frogs, and newts, placing them in buckets and dropping them off near the lake. Over 50 volunteers helped last year, moving 3,225 amphibians.
That year was the second best for amphibians and the busiest in 14 years. The largest number of newts got help and it was the best for toads since 2013.
The annual closure began in 2003 after Bath and North East Somerset Council agreed. It is one of only four in the UK and has stabilized local amphibian numbers for about 20 years.
Before the closing, casualties totaled 62%. In 2024, casualties dropped to 6%. Helen Hobbs manages the rescue group since 2003 and says the closure helps amphibians a lot; the community’s support is key.
Toads, frogs, and newts can now thrive, bucking national trends. Climate change makes predicting movement harder, therefore closing for six weeks provides more help. Movement peaked early February last year; in 2023, it peaked mid-March.
Scientists studied toad patrol data in 2016, exploring UK common toad populations. Common toads fell 68% in 30 years. Roads hurt amphibians a lot, and habitat loss is also a factor.
Ponds disappear, impacting amphibians, and habitat fragmentation affects them, too. This occurs due to farming and building, while climate change also hurts them. Milder winters cause them to wake often. There are over 200 patrols in the UK, helping animals during migration.