Forest for toads to save species as ponds lost

A FOREST especially for toads has been created by the Woodland Trust as it warns the species is under threat.

Half of all ponds in the UK were lost over the 20th century, leaving amphibians at risk of going extinct as their habitat dwindles.

After a large migration of toads hopped to Haddon Wood in Somerset, the trust has turned the area into an amphibian protection zone.

Volunteers have been sent to the area to patrol after dusk, when the toads come out, shining torches and spending hours helping the toads hop across an adjacent road into the woodland as they try to find a pond in which to spawn.

Hilary Harrison, a Woodland Trust volunteer, said in the last few weeks she has helped “save” hundreds of common toads, as well as protecting great crested and smooth newts – and the migration is set to continue for the next few weeks.

She said: “When the land for Haddon was donated in 2013, the Woodland Trust agreed to install a pond. With their help and that of a group of volunteers we made a natural pond which we decided to leave for nature to take over. Clearly lots of amphibians have taken a liking to the pond; they’ve spawned here before and this year the mass migration shows they are coming back to do so again.

“We’d heard that hundreds of the creatures were being killed crossing the road on the way to the pond and wanted to do our bit to help them across where we place them in the wood – it’s helping them on the way.

“Dave Boyer organises toad patrols in south Somerset on behalf of the local reptile and amphibian group and was alerted to this migration by a lorry driver who uses the route and was concerned to see the numbers of toads that were being squashed.”