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It is a Friday night at half past seven, but rather than heading to the pub or watching a film, I've caught a train to a town in the countryside to join local helpers from a toad patrol. These dedicated individuals give up their nights to safeguard the local toad population.

A Worrying Drop in Numbers

The common toad is becoming increasingly uncommon. A latest research led by an wildlife conservation group revealed that the British common toad numbers have almost halved since 1985. Seeing a species that has been a fixture of the British countryside in decrease is described as "concerning" by experts. Toads "don't need very specific conditions" and "ought 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."

The UK toad population has almost halved since 1985

The Threat from Roads

Though the study didn't examine the reasons for the decline, traffic is a major factor. Calculations suggest that 20 tons of toads are killed on British roads every year – in other words, hundreds of thousands. In contrast to frogs, which would probably be happy to mate "if you left out a bucket of water," toads favor large ponds. Their ability to stay out of water for longer than frogs means they can journey farther to find them – sometimes long distances. They tend to stick to their ancestral migration routes – it's typical for adult toads to go back to their natal pond to mate.

Migration Patterns

Fittingly, the initial amphibians begin their quest for a mate around Valentine's day, but others travel as late as spring, waiting until it gets night and travelling after sunset. During that period, toads start moving from where 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 toad population since he was a child, explains that "Their sole purpose: to go and mate." If their path happens to a street, they could be killed by traffic, and that breeding season would never happen – stopping a next generation of toads from being produced.

Toad Patrols Throughout the UK

Finding hundreds of dead toads on local roads "inherently strikes a chord with people," and has resulted in the creation of rescue teams throughout the UK – 274 groups are officially listed with a countrywide program. These groups collect toads and transport them over streets in buckets, as well as counting the quantity of toads they encounter and lobbying for other protection measures, such as blocked roads and underground wildlife tunnels.

Patrols usually work during the breeding period, when amphibian movements are more regular. However, this means they can overlook groups of young toads, which, having been eggs and then juveniles, exit their ponds over an irregular timetable in the end of summer. Because of their size – just one or two centimetres wide – "they are destroyed by car traffic." And as being hit "basically turns them into mush," it's more difficult to collect information on them. At least when adult toads are lost, their carcasses can be tallied.

Year-Round Work

Unlike many groups, a specific volunteer group, who are in their eighth season of functioning, go out year-round – not nightly, but whenever conditions are damp, or if a member has posted about a toad sighting in their messaging app. When I request to accompany them on duty, they admit it is "not ideal conditions" – toad hibernation season has begun and it's been a arid period – but a few of the volunteers gamely agree to patrol their route with me and search for any toads. "Should anyone can locate any toads tonight, those two will spot one," says the patrol manager, pointing to her 14-year-old son and the experienced member. After for two hours without a glimpse of any amphibians, and now they have scaled a wire barrier to inspect beneath some logs.

Community Participation

The mother and son joined the patrol a year and a half ago. The teenager adores all things wildlife and has an goal to become a conservationist, so his mother started to look for activities they could do together to protect native animals. Now she loves it as much as he does, the 41-year-old small business owner tells me – so when the team was looking for a fresh coordinator lately, she decided to step up.

The youth, too, has played an important role in the organization. A clip he created, urging the local council to block a street through a nature reserve during breeding time, influenced the outcome the team's way. After a year of campaigning, the authority agreed to an "restricted access" rule between 5pm and 5am from February through to April. Most drivers duly avoided the route.

Other Wildlife and Difficulties

A few cars go past when I'm out on duty and we find some casualties as a result – no amphibians, but several crushed salamanders. We spot one live amphibian as well, and the youngster is especially excited to see a daddy longlegs, which dances in his hands. Yet in spite of the group's hardest attempts to let me see a toad, the local population 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 contact clarify that it's very difficult at this time of year.

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

One email I get from another volunteer, who has generously taken the trouble to check for toads in a famous site, thought to be the largest accurately monitored toad group in the UK, reaches me with the subject line: "None found." However, in February and March, he tells me, the group plans to assist around ten thousand mature amphibians over the street.

Impact and Challenges

How much of a difference can these groups actually make? "The reality that people are performing this consistently on cold, damp and unpleasant evenings is remarkable," says an expert. "That's something that very much deserves recognition." However, while rescue teams are able to slow the decline, they can't stop it completely – not least because traffic is just one danger.

Other Dangers

The global warming has meant 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 increase of blue-green algae, which can be harmful to toads. Warmer cold seasons also cause toads to emerge from their hibernation more frequently, disrupting the energy conservation crucial to their existence. Loss of environment – particularly the disappearance of large ponds – is an additional threat.

Researchers are "often concerned about putting too much of a utilitarian spin on biodiversity," but "It's important in just their presence." But toads do have an significant part in the ecosystem, eating pretty much any small creatures or small animals they can swallow and in turn feeding a number of birds and mammals, such as hedgehogs and otters. Improving conditions for toads – such as building water habitats, conserving woodland and constructing amphibian passages – "we'll improve them for a whole bunch of other species."

Cultural Importance

An additional motive to work to preserve toads present is their "important cultural value," notes an specialist. Legends and tales around toads go back {centuries|hundred