The annual toad migration is about to start in Drenthe. Toads then emerge from their burrows after a long hibernation to find a spot near the water to mate. During the journey they often cross busy roads with the risk of being crushed by passing traffic. Volunteers from Staatsbosbeheer in Schoonloo are busy preparing to prevent these accidents as much as possible.
“Screens have been installed close to the N374”, says volunteer Annemarie Meyer. “Toads can’t walk to the busy road. That way we can protect them.” In autumn and winter many leaves fall in front of the screens. Meyer and her colleagues clear up the leaves and place buckets in the ground. “The toads then fall in there. When the catch is big enough, we take the buckets to the other side of the road and put them out by the pond.”
‘It’s still too cold’
Toad migration has already started in part of the Netherlands. In Drenthe, the animals are still waiting for a while. According to Meyer, this has to do with the temperature in Drenthe, which is lower than in other provinces. “It’s still too cold,” she continues. “There’s no point waiting with the preparations, because if they’re already on the road you’re too late. So we often start a week or two in advance.”
When the toads in our province start their journey, Meyer does not know exactly. “It can go very quickly,” she explains. “If it is ten degrees tonight and a bit wet, then they can suddenly start the journey. But it can also take a few weeks. The preparations are in any case done, I expect everything will be fine.”
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