Last Updated 5/16/11
(Scroll down for "News" section)

Background Info

During the first warm, rainy nights of spring, over half a dozen different species of frogs and salamanders make a mass migration from their wintering sites in upland habitats to vernal pools and other suitable breeding grounds.  Due to habitat fragmentation by roads, a vast number of frogs and salamanders are inadvertently killed each year trying to cross through the traffic.  Road mortality is painfully high, destroying entire populations or limiting their success rate.  Add to this increased development and higher road usage, and the scales are tipped squarely against these animals.  The objectives of this program are to educate the public about this little-known mass migration, and to recruit volunteers to assist our four-legged friends in their dangerous journey.

Program History

In spring 2005 NBNC piloted an amphibian rescue program.  Over 60 central Vermonters came to an informational training at the nature center to learn how to help amphibians safely cross roads.  Over 30 volunteers sent in reports from locations throughout the region.  In spring 2006, we brought our mission to other communities, hosting training sessions in Northfield, Stowe, Jericho, and Waterbury. In 2007 we held trainings in Waitsfield, Calais, Roxbury and Marshfield where we identified new crossing sites and recruited new volunteers. More new communities hosted trainings in 2008-2010, with over 300 people attending trainings.

Program Future

We hope spring 2011 to be our most productive year of amphibian monitoring yet!  Please see our schedule of upcoming training sessions on the column directly right of this text and find a training session near you.

Training Session Agenda

1. Intro to NBNC’s Amphibian Monitoring Program. 
2. Overview of what species are likely to be encountered, and where to search.
3. Protocol for amphibian monitoring/rescue. 
4. Q&A and volunteer sign up.

Subscribe to NBNC's Amphibian Monitoring Program

Email:

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News

5/16/11
This spring's amphibian migration proved to be a spectacular one, with the highest numbers of salamanders ever recorded by our program. We also set a record for the most data returned in a season and documented new species in towns where they were never known to exist previously. Our partnership with Friends of the Mad River resulted in new records for Spotted Salamander and Pickerel Frog in Fayston, and a volunteer in Essex documented that town's first Blue-spotted/Jefferson hybrid. A special thanks to Abby Mihaly, a student at Orchard Valley who rallied her classmates to monitor a site in East Montpelier and has helped raise funds for the program. We appreciate everyone’s effort and support! A video of "congressing" Spotted Salamanders is available below, and for more photos from this year's migration, visit our nature blog at the NBNC blog.

4/25/11
Weather looks good the next two nights (see weather report on the right column at the top of the page). Also, amphibians have been getting good press lately, with a nice article in the Sunday Times Argus about the efforts of Abby Mihaly, a 6th-grade student at Orhcard Valley who has rallied her classmates to help monitor a crossing in East Montpelier (sorry, the Times Argus charges a fee to view this article online). Also, amphibian monitoring was featured on News Channel 3 (WCAX) last Friday evening. Click here to view the segment.

4/12/11
Yesterday's rains dicipated early resulting in only limited road crossings in central Vermont during the early evening hours. Also, many central Vermont sites still have extensive snow cover and have not yet received their first crossings. In some cases, sites with activity are extremely close to those without... for example, small numbers of Wood Frogs and Spotted Salamanders were observed on Brook Rd. in Middlesex last night, while just a mile away at the Zdon Rd. crossing, conditions were still too snowy.

The next chance for a big movement looks like Wednesday evening, with rain forecasted throughout the day. While many Champlain Valley sites have already seen their peaks, our central Vermont sites are just getting started. Keep in mind that throughout the warm season, amphibians can still be seen on roads during rainy nights so even if the bulk of vernal pool breeders have migrated in your area, there may still be other species on the roads.

4/11/11
Yesterday's rains and warm temperatures were just what our sleeping amphibians have been waiting for, and reports have been rolling in from around the state. While colder sites in the Champlain Valley were seeing their peak activity, even the warmest sites in central Vermont were just experiencing their first movements of amphibians and few frogs were heard singing. There are still many areas of central Vermont that are waiting for their first activity of the year, but if sufficient melting occurs at those sites over the course of the day and roads remain wet we could see widespread activity throughout the area this evening.

If you have to be driving, please watch the roads carefully for amphibians. For some photos from the activity on Pond Rd in Shelburne, visit the NBNC blog.

4/5/11
With rain expected to dissipate into this evening, road conditions may or may not be wet enough to favor migrations in the Champlain Valley.  I've gotten word of movement in the south (Vernon) and throughout the Champlain Valley (Salisbury north to Grand Isle).  No reports of amphibians in central Vermont yet save a single account of a singing frog in South Woodbury. 

If roads remain wet and temperatures warm, more movement in the Champlain Valley can be expected.  The possibility remains that isolated movement will occur in central Vermont's warmer hollows but nothing widespread as the snow cover is still deep in most places.

More pictures from last night's crossing event in the Champlain Valley area on our blog: http://northbranchnaturecenter.blogspot.com/

4/4/11
CHAMPLAIN VALLEY FORECAST

The current forecast calls for a good, soaking rain this evening with temperatures in the low 40's.  With the chance of rain nearly 100% I have high confidence that amphibian movement will be substantial in parts of the Champlain Valley (despite many vernal pools still being partially/completely frozen).  Keep in mind that conditions vary from site-to-site and there still may be areas in the Champlain Valley where snow cover is substantial enough to limit amphibian movement. 

CENTRAL VERMONT FORECAST

In central Vermont, our snow should transition to rain, but with temperatures in the high 30's this evening and significant snow cover in most areas, amphibian movement (if there is any at all) will likely be extremely limited (warm, low elevation, steep south-facing slopes, etc.). 

3/18/11 - A few web updates occured today. Amphibian reports can now be submitted electronically using our new online data entry form. We've also updated the section of our site where we list previous crossing sites. All sites are now grouped by county, making them easier to browse. Stay tuned for other updates as we continue to improve our site.

2/28/11 - As we flip the pages in our calendars with the close of February, our eyes are greeted with those coveted words on the next page: "first day of spring"! Yes, spring is nearly here and amphibians will once again need your help. New training dates have been announced for the 2011 crossing season, and stay tuned for more updates.

8/19/10 - Please take a look at this naturenews article which highlights recent discoveries made about the association between algae and salamanders. According to the article, this discovery marks the first time that algae has been found to occur inside the cells of another vertebrate!

4/9/10 - This has certainly been a good week for migrating amphibians. Some of the rains (such as last night) came in the wee hours of the night, while other evenings had wet conditions earlier allowing volunteers to monitor crossing sites throughout the state. Migration is well underway at this point, and volunteers should be aware that the next few rainy nights may be some of the last opportunities to catch migration at its peak. Thanks to all who have monitored already this season!

4/5/10 - As some have already seen, WCAX filmed a segment about amphibian migration during last week's training session here at the Nature Center. The weather forecast ended up being spot on, as this was the night that many amphibians (including the Spotted Salamander pictured below) began to migrate in Central Vermont and elsewhere throughout the state. The video has been posted online and can now be viewed at the WCAX website.

4/1/10 - The first major amphibian crossings in Central Vermont occurred on Tuesday,
March 30, and although it is very early in the season, there were some Wood Frogs, Spring Peeprs, and Spotted Salamanders present on the roadways around Middlesex as well as other areas around the state.

We also have several new crossing sites added to our "Previous Crossing Sites" page in the towns of Calais and Essex. Expect more crossing nights in the next few weeks and keep your eyes on the weather forecast!

Click here for news before 4/1/10

Upcoming Events

We have concluded our planned events for this spring and the major movements of amphibians have already taken place for this year. Be aware that amphibians can still be found crossing roads on wet nights throughout the warm season. Thanks for your support!

Resources

• Training Flier (.doc)
• Data Sheets (.doc) (.pdf)
• Online Data Entry (new!)
• Photographic Tips (.doc) (.pdf)
• Road Crossing Protocol (.doc) (.pdf)
• Additional Resources (.doc)
• Previous Crossing Sites (new and improved!)
• Printable X-ing signs are available here from Save the Salamanders .

Please return all data sheets, maps, and photos to:

Larry Clarfeld
North Branch Nature Center
713 Elm Street
Montpelier, VT 05602

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