Toad safety

TOAD RESCUE . . . Volunteers Rachel Heaton and Greg Barratt help some toads near Fletcher’s Paper Mill

VOLUNTEERS in Saddleworth are helping an under threat amphibian survive.

Oldham Council’s parks and countryside service is staging Toad Patrol to give the creatures a helping hand to cross the road and reach their breeding ponds safely.

Staff joined volunteers near Fletcher’s Paper Mill, Greenfield, while the initiative is also taking place at Kiln Green, Diggle.

Unlike frogs which leap, toads only move slowly so can be easily crushed by passing vehicles. They always go back to where they were born, and each toad lays about 2,000 eggs.

Toads are classed as being of principal importance in the national biodiversity action plan, but have declined in numbers.

It is estimated that 5,000 toads have been helped across the road since 2005.

And there are plenty more being escorted to safety as volunteers armed with torches and buckets go out every night for a fortnight, at the peak of the spawning season, to help.

The council has identified four breeding ponds in the area but is keen to discover if residents know of any more or where toads hibernate.

Brownhill Countryside Centre is encouraging people to volunteer. Contact 01457 872598 for more information