Road temporarily closed for amphibian crossing in Upper Mount Bethel

Road temporarily closed for amphibian crossing in Upper Mount Bethel

Institute Road will be closed through April 25.

Nature Connects: Why do we help the frogs cross the road?

A Big Night event in Cumberland is one of many community efforts in Maine to assist amphibians across roadways during their spring migration.

The State Building Office has built mobile fences along federal and state roads to protect amphibians who are now on their way back to their spawning waters.

In spring, nature awakens again, and with it begins the annual migration of amphibians, which travel from their wintering grounds towards spawning grounds. This phenomenon usually begins when night temperatures exceed freezing and the soil is moist from rain. Amphibians such as frogs, toads, weevils and budgerigars begin a mass migration every day at dusk when they leave their wintering grounds in the forest and head towards bodies of water wher…

The way to the spawning waters is dangerous for many amphibians. Above all roads quickly become a death trap. This is why the Arge NATUR PROTECTION is once again looking for volunteers to save the animals. Countless amphibians have to cross roads and settlements every year to reach their spawning waters. This undertaking is not always safe. "First of all, the traffic represents a great danger for earth turtles and the like, says the Arge NATUR P…