Coming soon to a road near you in the Lakes Region are multiple species of amphibians looking to cross the road. In Bridgton, Denmark, Naples and Casco, as many as 65 volunteers could be there to give them safe passage.
Each year, Lakes Environmental Association hosts Big Night Salamander Migration Watch. The date is never fixed, volunteers are alerted by e-mail to be ready when the night temperatures climb above 40 degrees and rain falls.
That is the signal for wood frogs, salamanders, toads and other amphibians to seek wetlands for mating and laying eggs.
“I have found when I can see my breath, it is too cold for them to move,” said Bridie McGreavy, who coordinates educational programs for the association.
McGreavy said it could seem unusual for dedicated volunteers to go out in the dark to help amphibians cross the road, but amphibian populations are declining locally and globally due to the loss of habitats, pollution and pesticides. Big Night provides a chance to see species up close and experience what they do to survive and propagate.
The intent of some creatures can be hard to ascertain, according to McGreavy. Salamanders are always headed for wetland, but frogs may just want to absorb some of the radiational heat in the road. While a salamander might be carried across the road by a volunteer, the frogs might just be guided to the closest edge of a road, preferably towards wetlands.
Big Night volunteers are trained in workshops in late March or early April. To learn more about this and other association programs, call 647-8580 or visit www.mainelakes.org.
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