New volunteers wanted for Ringwood and Poulner Toad Patrol

Finding a toad in your garden or while walking in nature can be a nice surprise. But alarming research by Cambridge University shows that the number of amphibians in the wild has fallen dramatically: almost half of the UK’s toads have been lost in just one generation.

The loss of ponds and natural habitats, as well as changing weather patterns, is partly to blame for this decline. But many toads are also killed by traffic, especially when they crawl slowly across busy roads as they migrate to breed and lay their eggs near water.

They begin their migration in January, and that’s when the Ringwood and Poulner Toad Patrol starts to turn out every evening along a local toad “hotspot” to help them make it safely across the road. And the Patrol is looking for more volunteers who can help.

For the past 37 years, Ringwood and Poulner Toad Patrol has worked tirelessly to help the area’s wildlife. Every night from January to the middle of spring, volunteer patrollers take turns driving slowly along the road from the North Poulner crossroads to the Moyles Court ford below Rockford Common from dusk until 11pm, stopping to pick up toads and carry them across the road so they can safely continue their journey down to the water’s edge.

“The shocking decline in toad numbers means that every life we can save is more precious than ever,” said Nicola Yorke, who runs the patrol.

“The particular route we look after on the edge of Ringwood next to Blashford Lakes can be especially dangerous for them, as they risk being killed under the wheels of cars and vans. So, we’re looking for more willing volunteers who can spare a couple of hours one evening every week from mid-January through to the end of March.”