Slovakia Shows Love For Toads

Our last class lecture focused on conservation of reptile and amphibian habitat and in the town of Striebornica, located in Slovakia, our classroom information is being put to work, as local volunteers are doing their part to assist Europe toads. Since 1988 volunteers have banded together to help toads migrate across a busy road which separates the toads’ winter habitat from the reservoir.  Volunteers help collect these toads in bucks of water, count the toads, and then release the toads into the reservoir. The toad counts have become disheartening because population numbers have decreased from several thousand to 1000, since the volunteer project began. A 700 meter barrier was placed between the roadway and the wintering grounds to prevent the toads from cross on their own. Cross the busy road would almost certainly mean death for the toad.  The article is written as a civic engagement piece, designed to encourage participation for this event. The article tries to perhaps encourage conservation efforts, like this one, to take place in other areas. While the translation of this article to English is a bit shaky I believe this article is a wonderful example a community coming together to care for its local amphibian population.

this article can be viewed at : http://spectator.sme.sk/articles/view/49886/8/amphibians_on_the_move.html