"Every winter, this species - a reclusive, palm-sized amphibian that's considered "sensitive," and thereby protected, under Oregon law - must cross this highway to breed. Traversing up to three miles of the city each way, they hop and slide from their forested upland habitat, under sword ferns in undeveloped parkland, to their winter breeding grounds in the few surviving seasonal wetlands along the river."
"It was January 2013 when Harborton resident Rob Lee, 74, first realized what a gantlet the animals were running. Lee was carpooling to a local environmental group meeting one evening when he found himself helping the driver navigate a sudden frenzy of frogs crossing Harborton. The next morning, Lee counted 60 carcasses on his barely trafficked road."
Northern red-legged frogs, a protected species in Oregon, must migrate across Highway 30 in Portland each winter to reach breeding grounds in seasonal wetlands along the Willamette River. These small amphibians travel up to three miles from their forested upland habitats, crossing four lanes of high-speed traffic during their breeding season between December and March. In 2013, resident Rob Lee discovered the severity of the problem when he found 60 frog carcasses on a single road after witnessing a mass crossing. This discovery prompted him to contact Oregon's Department of Fish and Wildlife, leading to the establishment of a volunteer rescue program that has operated for 13 consecutive winters, with teams gathering at dusk to help frogs safely cross the dangerous roadway.
#wildlife-conservation #amphibian-migration #urban-habitat-protection #volunteer-environmental-action
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