Updated 4/1: Toads may be on the move | Philly

Tuesday, Nov 24, 8:45 PM

Web Search powered by YAHOO! SEARCH

options

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Updated 4/1: Toads may be on the move

Here's a Toads Gone Wild update from E2P correspondent Laurie Conrad:

It’s no Capistrano, but when the toads return to the old reservoir in Upper Roxborough, the neighborhood gets excited.

The toads, and some frogs, too, make their way up the wooded banks of the Schuylkill River in late March or early April, instinct driving them toward the swampy area of their birth, where a full-on amphibian orgy commences. Once eggs are laid, partiers gradually disburse back into the woods, and the species survive another cycle in the big city.

Timing is everything, which is why one warmer, wetter early spring night will bring hundreds of critters up the hillside at the same time. Blocking off a grid of roads around the reservoir saves many toad lives, so a band of volunteers gently shepherded by Schuylkill Valley Nature Center and Fairmount Park staff, along with other volunteer groups, hop into action when the toads do.

There’s more than a little wiggle room when it comes to predicting amphibian behavior, so a bunch of us showed up last night, alerted by a few toad sightings. But it was more or less a false alarm, though I proudly escorted one eager arrival across Port Royal Avenue toward his (the guys arrive early to establish their turf) annual date with destiny.

Yeah, it’s come to that in the vanishing wilds of the Delaware Valley. We’re saving ‘em one toad at a time. Every year more critters wind up as road pizza; fewer live ones are counted. But they keep trying. Shouldn’t we?

Tonight’s the night (maybe)

Weather conditions indicate that the big migration may happen this weekend. Come after dusk to the athletic fields near Ridge and Port Royal Avenue. Park at the fields and walk slowly and carefully down Port Royal. Bring a flashlight and a sense of wonder.

For more on the toad migration, check www.dougwechsler.com/toads.html.
To volunteer, call Lisa Levinson, 215-620-2130 or e-mail lisa@publiceyephilly.org.

UPDATE SUNDAY 3/29: Laurie reports: "Didn't happen Saturday night, but could happen at any time now. Might be tonight - might be later in week - but definitely very soon!"

UPDATE WEDNESDAY 4/1: Toad watchers are on alert as tonight is shaping up to be perfect toad migration weather. No foolin'. They migrated on April 1 last year. It's about time, says this toad patroler, who spent the other night wandering the chilly streets of Upper Roxborough in a dayglow orange vest without seeing a single toad.

Posted by Earth to Philly @ 8:25 PM Permalink | File Under: Wheels | Post a comment

Comments

0 comments

About Earth to Philly

Earth to Philly is a weblog focusing on earth-conscious technology, trends and ideas, from a Daily News perspective. We look at the "green" aspects of your home, business, food, transportation, style, policy, gadgets and artwork. If you have a Philly-related story, let us know about it!

The experts at Philadelphia's Energy Coordinating Agency answer your energy questions in our regular feature Stay Warm, Stay Green. Send in your question or questions to energy@phillynews.com.

Look for Jenice Armstrong to supply tips on green living as well as occasional columns on the subject of Green. She also blogs at Hey Jen.

Becky Batcha stays tuned for the here-and-now practical side of conservation, alternative energy, organic foods, etc. - stuff you can do at home now. Plus odds and ends.

Flavia Colgan has been telling Citizen Hunters how to "go green" since back before everyone got tired of that phrase. She brings her knowledge of the worlds of politics and of entertainment to the table and point you to the most useful ideas she finds on the Web.

Laurie Conrad recycles from her ever-growing e-mailbag to pass along the latest travel deals, fashion statements, household strategies, gadgets, cool local events and other nuggets of interest to those who appreciate a clean, green world.

Vance Lehmkuhl looks at topics like eco-conscious eating, public transportation and fuel-efficient driving from his perspective as a vegetarian, a daily SEPTA bus rider and a hybrid driver, as well as noting the occasional wacky trend or product.

Ronnie Polaneczky sees the green movement through the eyes of her 12-year-old daughter, who calls her on every scrap of paper or glass bottle that Ronnie neglects to toss into the house recycling bins. Ronnie will blog about new or unexpected ways to go green. She also blogs at So, What Happened Was...

Sandra Shea and the DN editorial board opine on any green-related legislation or policy. And we'll pass along some of the opeds on the subject that people send us.

Jonathan Takiff will be blogging mainly about consumer electronics - those things that we love to use and that suck too much energy. He'll spotlight green-conscious gizmos made in a responsible fashion, both in terms of materials used and the energy it takes to run them.

Signe Wilkinson draws the comic strip Family Tree, which follows the Tree family as they try to live green in the face of nattering neighbors, plastic-wrapped consumer products, and the primal teenage urge to spend vast quantities of money on hair care products of dubious organic quality.

In addition to these updates from our newsroom bloggers, watch for an occasional feature, Dumpster Diver Dispatches, from Philadelphia's original "green" community of artists, the Dumpster Divers. You'll learn about creative ways to reuse and recycle while you reduce, and about the artists who are making little masterpieces from what others throw out.