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It is Friday evening at half past seven, but rather than going out or watching a film, I've taken a train to a town in Wiltshire to join local helpers from a amphibian rescue group. These dedicated individuals sacrifice their nights to protect the local toad population.

An Alarming Drop in Numbers

The common toad is growing more rare. A recent research conducted by an wildlife conservation group showed that the British common toad numbers have almost halved since the mid-1980s. Seeing a species that has been a fixture of the British countryside in decrease is labeled "worrying" by experts. Toads "don't require very specific conditions" and "ought to live quite well in most of habitats in the UK," meaning if even they are not managing to survive, "it kind of suggests that things are not as they should be."

Since 1985, Britain's toad numbers have nearly been cut in half

The Danger from Roads

Though the study didn't cover the reasons for the drop, cars certainly plays a part. Estimates indicate that 20 tonnes of toads are killed on British roads every year – in other words, several hundred thousand. In contrast to frogs, which might be content to mate "with just a small container," toads prefer big bodies of water. Their ability to stay out of water for more time than frogs allows they can travel further to reach them – often long distances. They tend to stick to their traditional paths – it's common for adult toads to go back to their natal pond to mate.

Migration Habits

Fittingly, the first toads begin their quest for a partner around Valentine's day, but others travel as late as April, waiting until it gets dark and moving after sunset. During that period, toads begin migrating from where they have been overwintering "almost simultaneously."

A local helper, who was raised in the region and has been trying to protect its amphibians since he was a child, explains that "Their sole purpose: to go and mate." If their route happens to a street, they could be killed by traffic, and that mating period would never happen – stopping a next generation of toads from being born.

Toad Patrols Across the UK

Finding hundreds of toad carcasses on local roads "resonates deeply with people," and has led to the formation of rescue teams throughout the UK – 274 groups are officially listed with a national initiative. These teams collect toads and carry them across roads in containers, as well as counting the number of toads they find and lobbying for other protection measures, such as blocked roads and amphibian passages.

Volunteers usually work during the breeding period, when amphibian movements are more regular. However, this implies they can miss numbers of young toads, which, having existed as spawn and then tadpoles, exit their ponds over an irregular timetable in the end of summer. Because of their small stature – just one or two centimetres wide – "they can get obliterated by car traffic." And as being hit "essentially crushes them," it's more difficult to get data on them. At least when mature amphibians are killed, their carcasses can be tallied.

Year-Round Work

Unlike most patrols, one local team, who are in their eighth season of operating, go out throughout the year – not every night, but whenever weather are damp, or if someone has posted about a amphibian spotting in their messaging app. When I ask to join them on duty, they concede it is "not ideal conditions" – winter dormancy has started and it's been a dry day – but a few of the volunteers gamely agree to patrol their route with me and search for any toads. "Should anyone can find any toads tonight, that pair will find one," says the patrol manager, pointing to her 14-year-old son and the longtime volunteer. We've been out for two hours without a glimpse of any amphibians, and now they have scaled a wire barrier to check under some wood.

Community Involvement

The mother and son became part of the group a year and a half ago. The teenager adores all things wildlife and has an goal to become a environmentalist, so his mother started to search for things they could do together to help native animals. Now she enjoys it as much as he does, the middle-aged small business owner explains – so when the group was seeking a fresh coordinator lately, she volunteered for the role.

The teenager, too, has been instrumental in the group. A video he made, imploring the local council to block a road through a nature reserve during breeding time, swung the decision the group's way. After a twelve months of lobbying, the authority agreed to an "restricted access" rule between 5pm and 5am from late winter through to spring. Most drivers respected and avoided the route.

Other Wildlife and Challenges

A few vehicles go past when I'm out on patrol and we discover some victims as a consequence – no amphibians, but several crushed salamanders. We see one living newt as well, and the youngster is particularly pleased to see a daddy longlegs, which dances in his hands. Yet in spite of the team's best efforts to show me a toad, the local population has obviously gone dormant for the colder months. It appears that I wouldn't have had any more luck anywhere else in the country – all the rescue teams I reach out to explain that it's very difficult at this season.

They project rescuing nearly 10,000 grown amphibians during migration

One email I get from a different helper, who has kindly made the effort to check for toads in a famous site, considered the largest accurately monitored toad population in the UK, arrives in my inbox with the title: "None found." However, in late winter, he informs me, the team plans to assist approximately ten thousand adult toads across the road.

Impact and Limitations

What level of impact can these organizations truly achieve? "The reality that volunteers are doing this regularly on cold, damp and unpleasant evenings is quite extraordinary," says an expert. "That's something that very much should be celebrated." However, while toad patrols are able to slow the decline, they cannot prevent it entirely – not least because traffic is not the only threat.

Other Dangers

The global warming has resulted in extended spells of drought, which create the poor environment for some of the creatures that toads eat, such as worms and slugs, while warmer ponds have caused an rise of toxic plants, which can be toxic to toads. Milder winters also lead toads to emerge from their dormancy more often, disrupting the energy conservation vital to their life cycle. Loss of environment – especially the disappearance of big water bodies – is an additional threat.

Experts are "always a bit worried about overemphasizing practical benefits on biodiversity," but "It's important in just their presence." But toads play an significant part in the food chain, consuming pretty much any invertebrates or small animals they can swallow and in turn sustaining a variety of predators, such as wildlife. Improving situations for toads – such as creating more ponds, protecting forests and installing amphibian passages – "we'll improve them for a wide range of other species."

Cultural Significance

An additional motive to work to preserve toads around is their "important cultural value," adds an expert. Myths and folklore around toads go back {centuries|hundred