EVENING NEWS (Norwich, UK) 11 January 07 Helping toads out of a hole (David Powles)
How did the toad cross the road? With the help of a team of dedicated volunteers determined to ensure the city's amphibian population does not die out.
Every year thousands of toads get killed crossing roads in Bowthorpe and Colney as they try to reach the nearby lakes for spawning season.
But for the past three years a team of nature lovers have given up their evenings to lend the creatures a helping hand and get them safely across the roads.
With the migration season fast approaching, Toad Watch - set up solely to help the toads get to their mating grounds - is looking for volunteers for this year's campaign.
It is hoping to do even better than last year when 18 people helped more than 4,000 toads to safety.
Jan Insley, who set up the Norwich group and still runs it despite recently moving from Thorpe Hamlet to Shrewsbury, said: “There used to be literally thousands and thousands of toads in this part of Norwich but sadly they are dying because there aren't enough ponds and their homes have been turned into housing developments.
“Now they try to return to the lakes but they get killed by cars, fall down the drains or the kerbs are too high.
“It really matters because toads are an important part of the ecological chain and they are dying out. We have also found that barn owls, which feed on them, have been dying out in the area.
“So much of nature is disappearing and we just want people to do their bit. It is fun and very rewarding.”
Volunteer Ann Cumbers, 64, from Rackheath, said: “It is horrible to see them struggling and although we can't help them all it is very rewarding to do something. If we don't act then we will simply lose the toads.”
Debbie Sparkes, 45, from Thorpe St Andrew, said: “We have had a really good response from the community and a lot have come to help.
“I have got so much back from knowing that I am doing my bit to help them.”
The migration period usually starts in February and runs until the end of March. Toads only migrate in the dusk or darkness and volunteers can give up as little or as much time as they would like.
Last year Norwich City Council agreed to spend £6,000 to lower kerbs and put toad warning signs along New Road and Chapel Break Road to help the amphibians cross.
However, the move has not been welcomed by everyone in the community, with some claiming money should be spent making the road safer for pedestrians following the death last year of five-year-old Kai Davies.
A meeting to discuss the volunteer work is being held at the Bowthorpe Church Centre, on Wednesday, January 31, at 7.30pm. More information is available from Jan on 01743 360540 or via e-mail at lin999@btinternet.com

http://new.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/News/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=enonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED11 Jan 2007 08:45:16:570

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