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It's Friday evening at 7:30, but instead of going out or watching a film, I've caught a train to a town in the countryside to meet up with local helpers from a toad patrol. These dedicated individuals sacrifice their nights to safeguard the local toad population.

A Worrying Decline in Numbers

The common toad is becoming increasingly uncommon. A latest study led by an wildlife conservation group revealed that the British common toad numbers have almost halved since the mid-1980s. Observing a species that has been a stalwart of the UK landscape in decrease is described as "worrying" by experts. Toads "don't need very specific conditions" and "should be able to live quite well in the majority of areas in Britain," meaning if even they are struggling to persist, "it kind of suggests that things are not as they should be."

The UK toad population has almost halved since 1985

The Threat from Roads

Though the study didn't cover the causes for the drop, traffic is a major factor. Estimates indicate that 20 tonnes of toads are crushed on British roads annually – that is, hundreds of thousands. Unlike frogs, which would probably be happy to mate "with just a small container," toads prefer large ponds. Their ability to remain away from water for more time than frogs means they can travel further to find them – often hundreds of metres. They tend to stick to their traditional paths – it's common for adult toads to return to their birth pond to mate.

Migration Patterns

Fittingly, the initial amphibians start their journey for a partner around February 14th, but others travel as late as April, waiting until it gets dark and travelling after sunset. During that time, toads begin migrating from where they have been hibernating "almost simultaneously."

One volunteer, who was raised in the area and has been trying to protect its amphibians since he was a boy, explains that "They've got just one focus: to go and have an orgy." If their path crosses a street, they could all get run over, and that breeding season would never happen – preventing a new generation of toads from being born.

Toad Patrols Throughout the UK

Seeing many of dead toads on local roads "resonates deeply with people," and has led to the formation of toad patrols throughout the UK – 274 groups are officially listed with a countrywide program. These groups pick up toads and transport them across roads in buckets, as well as counting the quantity of toads they find and lobbying for other protection measures, such as blocked roads and underground wildlife tunnels.

Patrols usually work during the migration season, when toad crossings are more regular. However, this means they can overlook numbers of young toads, which, having existed as eggs and then tadpoles, exit their ponds over an unpredictable schedule in the end of summer. Because of their size – just a couple of cm wide – "they can get obliterated by car traffic." And as being hit "basically turns them into mush," it's harder to get data on them. At least when adult toads are lost, their carcasses can be tallied.

Annual Efforts

In contrast to many groups, a specific volunteer group, who are in their eighth season of functioning, go out year-round – not nightly, but when conditions are damp, or if someone has reported about a amphibian spotting in their messaging app. When I request to accompany them on duty, they concede it is "not ideal conditions" – winter dormancy has begun and it's been a arid period – but a few of the helpers gamely agree to walk up and down their route with me and search for any toads. "Should anyone can locate any toads tonight, those two will find one," says the group coordinator, pointing to her teenage child and the experienced member. We've been out for 120 minutes without a single toad sighting, and now they have scaled a wire barrier to check under some logs.

Family Involvement

The mother and son became part of the patrol a while back. The youngster adores all things wildlife and has an ambition to become a environmentalist, so his parent started to search for things they could do jointly to protect native animals. Now she loves it as much as he does, the 41-year-old entrepreneur tells me – so when the group was looking for a fresh coordinator lately, she decided to step up.

The teenager, too, has played an important role in the group. A clip he made, imploring the municipal authority to close a street through a nature reserve during breeding time, swung the decision the group's way. After a twelve months of campaigning, the council agreed to an "access-only" restriction between evening and morning from late winter through to April. Most drivers respected and avoided the route.

Other Wildlife and Challenges

Several vehicles go by when I'm out on duty and we discover some casualties as a consequence – no amphibians, but several crushed salamanders. We see one living newt as well, and the teenager is especially excited to see a harvestman, which dances in his palms. Yet despite the group's best efforts to let me see a toad, the native community has clearly gone dormant for the winter. It seems that I wouldn't have had any more luck elsewhere in the country – all the rescue teams I reach out to clarify that it's near-impossible at this time of year.

They project rescuing nearly 10,000 grown amphibians during migration

A message I receive from a different helper, who has kindly taken the trouble to look for toads in a noted location, thought to be the biggest tracked toad group in the UK, reaches me with the subject line: "No toads." However, in February and March, he informs me, the team expects to help approximately 10,000 adult toads over the street.

Impact and Limitations

How much of a difference can these groups actually make? "The reality that people are doing this consistently on chilly, wet and miserable late nights is quite extraordinary," says an researcher. "This effort that very much deserves recognition." However, while rescue teams are able to slow the decline, they cannot prevent it entirely – not least because traffic is just one danger.

Additional Threats

The global warming has meant longer periods of drought, which cause the poor environment for some of the creatures that toads consume, such as worms and slugs, while higher water temperatures have caused an rise of toxic plants, which can be toxic to toads. Milder winters also cause toads to wake up from their dormancy more often, disrupting the energy conservation vital to their existence. Loss of environment – especially the disappearance of big water bodies – is another menace.

Researchers are "always a bit worried about putting too much of a utilitarian spin on biodiversity," however "It's important in just their presence." But toads do have an important role in the ecosystem, consuming pretty much any invertebrates or tiny organisms they can fit in their mouths and in turn feeding a variety of predators, such as wildlife. Enhancing situations for toads – ie building water habitats, conserving woodland and installing toad tunnels – "we'll improve them for a whole bunch of other species."

Cultural Significance

An additional motive to try to keep toads around is their "important cultural value," notes an specialist. Legends and tales around toads go back {centuries|hundred