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It's Friday evening at half past seven, but rather than heading to the pub or watching a film, I've taken a train to a market town in Wiltshire to join local helpers from a toad patrol. These dedicated individuals give up their nights to protect the native amphibian community.

An Alarming Decline in Population

The common toad is growing more rare. A recent research conducted by an amphibian and reptile charity showed that the British common toad numbers have dropped by half since 1985. Seeing a creature that has been a fixture of the British countryside in decrease is described as "concerning" by experts. Toads "don't require very specific conditions" and "should be able to live successfully in most of areas in Britain," meaning if even they are not managing to survive, "it kind of suggests that the ecosystem is unbalanced."

Toad populations across the UK have declined by almost 50% since the 1980s

The Threat from Traffic

Though the research didn't examine the causes for the decline, traffic is a major factor. Calculations indicate that 20 tons of toads are crushed on British roads every year – that is, hundreds of thousands. Unlike frogs, which would probably be content to mate "if you left out a small container," toads prefer large ponds. Their ability to remain away from water for more time than frogs means they can journey farther to find them – often hundreds of metres. They tend to stick to their traditional paths – it's typical for mature amphibians to go back to their natal pond to mate.

Migration Habits

Appropriately enough, the first toads begin their quest for a mate around Valentine's day, but some move as far as spring, waiting until it gets dark and travelling after sunset. During that time, toads begin migrating from wherever they have been hibernating "all pretty much at the same time."

A local helper, who grew up 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 path crosses a road, they could all get run over, and that mating period would never happen – stopping a new generation of toads from being born.

Toad Patrols Throughout the United Kingdom

Finding hundreds of dead toads on nearby streets "resonates deeply with people," and has led to the creation of rescue teams across the UK – hundreds of organizations are officially listed with a national initiative. These teams pick up toads and carry them over streets in containers, as well as counting the quantity of toads they encounter and lobbying for other protection measures, such as road closures and amphibian passages.

Volunteers tend to operate during the breeding period, when amphibian movements are more regular. However, this implies they can miss groups of toadlets, which, having existed as eggs and then juveniles, exit their ponds over an unpredictable schedule in the end of summer. Because of their small stature – just one or two centimetres wide – "they are destroyed by vehicles." And as being hit "basically turns them into mush," it's harder to get data on them. At least when adult toads are killed, their carcasses can be tallied.

Annual Efforts

Unlike most patrols, a specific volunteer group, who are in their eighth year of functioning, go out year-round – not every night, but when conditions are warm and wet, or if someone has posted about a amphibian spotting in their group chat. When I request to accompany them on patrol, they concede it is "not a toady night" – winter dormancy has begun and it's been a dry day – but several of the volunteers willingly accept to patrol their route with me and search for any toads. "If anyone can find any toads tonight, that pair will find one," says the group coordinator, pointing to her 14-year-old son and the experienced member. After for two hours without a single toad sighting, and now they have climbed over a barbed wire fence to check under some wood.

Community Participation

The family duo became part of the group a year and a half ago. The teenager adores all things nature-related and has an goal to become a conservationist, so his mother started to search for activities they could do jointly to protect native animals. Now she enjoys it as much as he does, the 41-year-old entrepreneur explains – so when the group was looking for a new manager lately, she decided to step up.

The teenager, too, has played an important role in the organization. A clip he made, imploring the local council to block a road through a protected area during migration season, swung the decision the team's way. After a year of lobbying, the council agreed to an "access-only" rule between 5pm and 5am from late winter through to spring. The majority of motorists duly avoided the road.

Additional Species and Challenges

A few vehicles go past when I'm out on duty and we discover some casualties as a result – no amphibians, but several crushed salamanders. We see one living newt as well, and the youngster is particularly pleased to see a harvestman, which dances in his palms. Yet despite the team's hardest attempts to show me a toad, the native community has obviously settled down for the winter. It seems that I wouldn't have had any better success elsewhere in the country – all the patrol groups I reach out to explain that it's near-impossible at this time of year.

This team anticipates assisting around ten thousand mature toads over the street

A message I get from another volunteer, who has generously made the effort to check for toads in a famous site, considered the largest accurately monitored toad group in the UK, arrives in my inbox with the title: "No toads." However, in February and March, he informs me, the team plans to assist around ten thousand adult toads across the road.

Effectiveness and Limitations

How much of a difference can these groups actually make? "The fact 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 rescue teams are able to slow the decline, they can't stop it completely – not least because vehicles is not the only threat.

Other Dangers

The global warming has resulted in longer periods of drought, which create the wrong conditions for some of the creatures that toads consume, such as worms and slugs, while warmer ponds have caused an increase of toxic plants, which can be harmful to toads. Milder winters also lead toads to wake up from their hibernation more often, disrupting the energy conservation vital to their existence. Loss of environment – especially the loss of large ponds – is another menace.

Researchers are "often concerned about putting too much of a utilitarian spin on wildlife," but "It's important in just their presence." But toads do have an important role in the food chain, consuming almost any invertebrates or small animals they can swallow and in turn sustaining a variety of birds and mammals, such as wildlife. Enhancing situations for toads – ie building water habitats, protecting forests and installing amphibian passages – "we'll improve them for a wide range of other species."

Cultural Significance

Another reason to work to preserve toads around is their "important cultural value," adds an specialist. Myths and folklore around toads go back {centuries|hundred