Wayland Post Correxpondent
Wayland’s Conservation Department and Conservation Commission are again running Ribbit Rangers, its second year of a salamander-saving, frog-ferrying community science program.
The program’s goals are to identify Big Night amphibian road crossing sites and assist amphibians safely across the road.
Big Nights occur in early spring, after the ground thaws, when thousands of frogs and salamanders emerge from winter burrows and march up to a quarter of a mile toward vernal pools to court and breed. It’s the biggest migration in town, and it all happens over a handful of nights when conditions are right: after dark, temperatures over 40F, and raining.
“Salamander brigades” have sprung up all around the country to try to help these marvelous creatures. The necessity for the program is because many roads now divide vernal pools from the forests and woodlands where these critters live. The resulting roadkill losses from a single car can be catastrophically high, with some amphibian species at risk of local extinctions within just a couple decades. The extent of the damage is not visible in the morning because the local wildlife will have already eaten the ready made meals.
In its inaugural effort last spring, Ribbit Rangers had 44 sign-ups. Despite uncooperative weather conditions, the volunteers focused on finding out where crossing sites exist in order to focus on their efforts in the future. They were able to locate several known places and other potential crossing sites. A new map has been posted to the Ribbit Rangers page on the town website identifying crossing sites with a plan this year for real time updates.
If you would like to be part of the Ribbit Rangers adventure this year, sign up and review our required safety for dark roads with no sidewalks and how-to handle amphibians guidance. We encourage you to explore your own neighborhood but not by vehicle; driving to sites runs the risk of harming more amphibians than you might save. The most helpful option may be to simply avoid driving forested back roads on rainy nights in March.
Email fischer@wayland.ma.us or visit www.wayland.ma.us/conservation/pages/ribbit-rangers for more information and to sign up.
