NORWICH EVENING PRESS (UK) 28 November 05 Hop to it and help our toads (Peter Walsh)
You will have heard of the Green Cross Code — now meet the Green Cross Toad.
Every year hundreds of toads and frogs get killed crossing roads in Bowthorpe to spawn in the lakes.
Now they are going to get a helping hand in making their way across New Road and Chapel Break Road thanks to a £6,000 council scheme.
During the spring migration, up to 80 per cent of the population get killed by cars or fall down drains, but now the pavements are set to be lowered.
Over the past couple of years, volunteers have helped get more than 1,000 frogs and toads to the lakes and river by helping them across the road.
Phil Insley from Toad Watch, a Norwich-based group, said he was delighted Norwich City Council was going to help.
He said: "Members of Toad Watch wrote to city and county councillors asking for help carrying out alterations to the road kerbs and also to provide improved signs warning road users of the migration point."
Toad Watch and officers from Norwich City Council met earlier this month to decide what action to take.
"It was agreed that lowered kerbs would be installed either side of the road gullies along the affected section of the migration route and similar dropped kerbs on the other side of the road," he said.
"The city council has also agreed to install additional permanent signage and to provide further temporary signs for Toad Watch to position along the road during the migration period."
The work is to be funded from the city council's Environmental Improvement Budget and is expected to cost about £6,000. Bowthorpe city councillor Brenda Ferris said: "This budget is a special budget which is councillor driven and is something we can consider if the community come to us," she said.
Green Party councillor Adrian Ramsay has also been working with the Toad Watch campaigners to lobby the council to get the project funded.
"I am delighted that the council has agreed to take these relatively cheap and straight-forward measures to reduce the number of toads and frogs that are killed when crossing the roads," he said.
"As these roads have been built on the migratory route of the toads and frogs, the council has an obligation to help."
If you would like to be a volunteer helping to transport toads and frogs next spring contact Phil or Jan Insley at Toad Watch before January 10 on (01603) 438279.
Volunteers will be invited to attend a meeting at the Bowthorpe Worship Centre at 7.15pm on Wednesday, February 8.
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