This Spring the patrol managed to complete some sessions of Paulton Toad Patrol, despite the various restrictions and it would be great to do a full season next year (not long now!).

The toads are now hibernating, but as soon as the weather and temperature are suitable (mild, damp evenings around the beginning of February), they instinctively head en masse for their traditional spawning ponds.

In Paulton this is the fishing ponds (currently privately owned) on Bristol Road, on the way to Goosard. Unfortunately this also coincides with rush hour, and annually many toads get killed here and across the country.

In the last thirty years, toad numbers have declined by seventy percent, so Toad Patrols aim to collect as many toads as possible and transfer them safely across the roads so that they can breed safely.

Being involved with toad patrol involves being available on suitable evenings, generally for the six weeks between mid-February until the clocks go forward,

approximately between the hours of 6.30 pm – 8 pm. Obviously the more people we have, the more toads we can rescue, and ideally we can have groups to spread the time that we each need to be involved.

It does seems a strange time of year and day to be out and about, but I find that it gets me kick-started into the year and being out and about makes Spring come even

earlier.

Collecting the toads safely becomes quite compulsive (and is also a good way of exercising off any Christmas excess...!).

We would really welcome more patrollers, so if you are interested in taking part, or have any questions, please contact me: [email protected] or 07749 626184, thank you.

There is also now a Facebook group: Paulton Toad Patrol which you can join. You can also message Rozy Gray on there, who set up this group last season, and get details of how to fill in the insurance and Health and Safety forms (nothing complicated!).

There is also lots of general information on frogs and toads and on how Toad Patrols work at: www.froglife.org.

All the best – we look forward to seeing more patrollers and saving more toads! Ginny Lake