A spotted salamander is helped across the road in Sharon, VT.

Have you ever seen a spotted salamander? These giant amphibians are 4.5 to 8 inches long (picture a salamander the length of a banana), with grey/black bodies covered in bright yellow spots (see photo). Amazingly, they can live up to 20 years in the wild and spend most of their lives hidden from humans underground. You are unlikely to come across these incredible animals in nature unless you are out at just the right time of year, and that time of year is nearly upon us.

Each spring, amphibians migrate from upland wintering and denning habitat to vernal pools, swamps, and ponds. They undertake this journey to breed and will only set out on their hike of up to ¼ of a mile on nights where special conditions are met. It must be warm out (> 40°F), raining, and dark out (dusk or nighttime) in the months of March, April, or early May. They won’t migrate during the daytime, if it is snowing, if waterbodies they are trying to reach are frozen, or if the ground is dry. This mass migration of amphibians is known as “Big Night,” but in reality there are multiple pulses of migration every spring, resulting in several “Big Nights” during a spring season.

Unfortunately, the ancient migration paths of many amphibians now intersect human-made obstacles, including roads. Even moderate road traffic can lead to the loss of an entire population over time. North Branch Nature Center’s Amphibian Road Crossing (ARC) Program is working to prevent this. The ARC program collects citizen science data from volunteer amphibian crossing guards across Vermont. These volunteers have helped save countless individual salamanders and frogs and have provided data to support changes to roads. Data from this program was used to secure grant funding to build two salamander crossing culverts under a busy road in Monkton in 2015.

You can help amphibians by volunteering as an amphibian crossing guard. Volunteers visit known or suspected amphibian migration sites on warm, rainy nights in March-May and record weather, species, and amphibian data while escorting amphibians across the road. They then submit this data to North Branch Nature Center (NBNC). You can view NBNC’s map of amphibian crossing locations that previous volunteers have marked here. There are more locations identified in the Montpelier area than there are in our area, but you’ll see sites in Hartland, Norwich, Quechee, and other Upper Valley towns. Do you know of an area near Woodstock that isn’t on the map? You can report this new site to NBNC so they can begin gathering data on it.

North Branch Nature Center has a volunteer manual, where you can learn more about how to be an amphibian crossing guard. Here are the basics: Select a crossing site to visit from their map, or from your own knowledge. Print out NBNC’s data form and bring it to the site on a warm wet night, along with pencils, flashlights, and safety vests. Park at the end of the transect and then walk slowly along the road. When an amphibian is discovered in the middle of the roadway, pick it up carefully with a clean, bare or gloved hand and move it completely off the roadway in the direction that the animal was moving when you discovered it. Record all animals moved, as well as dead amphibians. You’ll record the species of amphibian in both cases, as well as how many cars pass by while you’re out.

Some tips to get started: Always wear reflective clothing when participating in amphibian road crossings and watch out for cars–never risk your safety to move an animal! Aso make sure to wash your hands before heading out. Amphibians breathe through their skin, so lotions, perfumes, and soaps can be very dangerous. Unfortunately, you will have to remove dead amphibians from the road, because you’ll collect new data on a second “transect” once you turn around and walk the same length of road again. If you’re squeamish, a spatula or gloves can be helpful.

Amphibian road crossings can be a rewarding and important way to contribute to wildlife conservation. By volunteering as a crossing guard, you not only help to protect these amazing creatures but also collect valuable data that helps researchers and conservationists better understand amphibian migration patterns and the impacts of human infrastructure on wildlife.

What you can do:

• Visit North Branch Nature Center’s Amphibian Crossing page to learn more about volunteering as a crossing guard
• Drive slowly on warm wet nights and keep an eye out for amphibians crossing the road
• Join us for a virtual Amphibian Crossing Training on April 10th