Thousands of toads and frogs wake from winter slumber in Mlochowski Forest and migrate to marshes a few kilometers away for spawning, with male toads often traveling on the backs of larger female partners. A road built in the last decade across the migration route made the spring journey dangerous for amphibians, and thousands of frogs were run over during mating season before the Frog Patrol began. Frogs breathe through their skin, which must stay humid, so they only move and migrate when it rains, making wet evenings critical for their survival.
Łukasz Franczuk is the coordinator of the Frog Patrol initiative, which started three years ago in response to these amphibian deaths. Volunteers meet on wet, rainy evenings in spring, fan out along the road, collect frogs from the roadside, and carry them safely across to marshes. Hundreds of volunteers wear reflective yellow vests with 'Frog Patrol' and use head lamps and buckets during migration season evenings, while locals, including children, carry gloves to pick up amphibians in distress during the day.
Katarzyna Jacniacka and Aleksandra Tkaczyk are participants in the Frog Patrol. Biologist Krzysztof Klimaszewski from the Institute of Animal Sciences at Warsaw SGGW University participated in frog patrols and says the locals' work is very important. Locals say they have saved about 18,000 amphibians since the initiative started.
The specific road in Mlochowski Forest causing the danger has not been identified, and it is unclear how many volunteers participate annually or what official measures authorities have taken to address the roadkill issue. The species of toads and frogs involved in this migration are not specified, and the long-term impact on amphibian survival rates remains unknown.