Photo Arne Ader
Translation Liis
Frog pond
In the rain on Saturday night* there was a significant frog migration on the roads around Harku lake and the weather forecast promised suitable migration weather on the following days.
The Estonian Fund for Nature (Eestimaa Looduse Fond, ELF) announces
The annual frog migration is once more gathering momentum due to the suitable weather. For this the Estonian Fund for NAture (ELF) calls for volunteers to help the amphibians across roads crossing their migratin paths. Car drivers are also asked to be observant on the frog migration that takes place in the dark, for the sake of the amphibians as well as the volunteers helping them. The frog actions take place all over Estonia, for the fifth time.
Frogs have a significant role in our nature and they have an important place in the food chain. It is important that as many as possible can head for breeding, but roads with dense car traffic are dangerous. ”In a few hours a hundred adult frogs may die be killed during the mass migration which is a considerable loss. Only about 1% of the tadpoles become frogs who can get progeny themselves,” Kristiina Kübarsepp said, leader of the ”Frogs off road/s” Konnad teel(t)“ action.
The problem is eased by voluntary frog helpers who arrange actions to help frogs across the roads in their home areas, as in previoius years. The first messages about frogs starting to move arrived already a week earlier and on the migration paths nearly 2000 amphibians were assisted. But the migration is not massive yet in all migration areas. With rainy and warm evenings the migration should become even more numerous all over Estonia. „Since the weathjer again favours frog migration we ask all to let us know about locations for frog migration. An easy way to do this is by way of the new home page that has a special map applicaiton for frog observations,“ Kristina Kübarsepp says, calling all to take part.
In different places in estonia the plan is to arrange more than 20 frog voluntary actions. There is nothing complicated about helping the frogs across roiads – you must know places where frogs move across roads, hit the beginning of the migration and then equipped with a helkurvest, head lamp, gloves and pails start helping the amphibians on their spring migration. Certaionly please let ELF know about wanting to assiost the frogs and read about frog assistance actions on the home page.
The safety of the frog voluntary helpers is extremely important. For the sake of the amphibians as well as humans we recommend using temporary frog barriers on the assitance spots – it hinders the frogs reaching the road and the volunteeres can collect the frogs from the roadside behind the barrier into the buckets and when the road is assuredly safe, take them across the road.
In the active frog migration period car drivers should also be careful when moving in dark on roads crossing migration paths. Seeing volunteers in luminiscent vests and headlamps at the roadside should make drivers very observant and when needed reduce speed. With favourable weather the migration lasts 4-5 nights.
A map of known migration location is on the home page LINK
When helping hands are needed at the actions please let the „Konnad teel(t) – Frogs offroad“ know on the Facebook page LINK
More information:
Kristiina Kübarsepp
5341 1421
*Estonian article published 17.04.2016
