Ladders deployed for toads in a hole
Maidenhead: Ramps readied to rescue toads in drains
Nicolae Mares, Sarah Travers, Gill Stone. Ref:132428-41 ‘Toad ladders’ were prepared last week to help amphibians during the breeding and migration period.
WildMaidenhead volunteers worked with Royal Borough contractor VolkerHighways to clean 188 ladders between Blackamoor Lane and Summerleaze Road on Wednesday, January 29 and Thursday.
Toad ladders are ramps with a grip mesh to allow amphibians which fall down drains to climb back out again.
According to Jan Stannard, leader of the project, these ladders have an 80 per cent success rate.
Maidenhead has the biggest toad ladder installation in England.
The ladders are being cleaned before the toads begin to migrate to bodies of water in which they will lay their eggs within the next few weeks
As well as cleaning the ladders, volunteers plan to be out on the roads when the toads start migrating, scooping up toads from the roads and transporting them to the other side.
“Toads walking down the road can smell the water in the drains,” said Jan
“They fall in and they can’t get back out again.
“It can be distressing for families to see toads that have drowned.”
This is the third year that the ladders have been installed and volunteers have been cleaning them annually.
Jan said: “There’s a lot of camaraderie between volunteers.
“It’s strangely satisfying, helping a species in decline. It’s the ‘sharp end’ of conservation.”
Ref: 132428-49
Sarah Travers, Gill Stone, locating toad ladder drains. Ref:132428-8
Nicolae Mares, Ted O'Driscoll, Sarah Travers and Gill Stone. Ref: 132428-40
Nicolae Mares of Volker Highways. Ref:132428-15