Every spring, salamanders, wood frogs, spring peepers and other amphibian species make their way out of hibernation to their nearest vernal pool where they will mate and lay eggs. This phenomenon, called 'Big Night' can happen over the course of a few days with very specific conditions.

Amphibians are wildly important to the health of our forests. Did you know that the biomass of salamanders in Northern forests is greater than that of ALL the breeding birds and small mammals combined? They are a key part of the food web and our local ecosystems. This migration can be a vulnerable time for these important species. Busy, paved roads crisscrossing the landscape sometimes separate the amphibians from their destination in nearby forests or wetlands, putting them at risk of being hit by cars.

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How can you help?

1. Volunteering in Bridgton: You can help amphibians cross the road by signing up to be a Big Night volunteer! With help from volunteers from the Maine Master Naturalist program, we've adopted two crossing locations in Bridgton. We are looking for volunteers who live in Bridgton to help out to reduce the distance traveled on these migration nights. Sign up to volunteer here.

When? We don't know exactly when we'll be going out, because conditions have to be just right (rainy between 40 and 50 degrees) for the migration to occur. We will send out notification to interested participants when the conditions look good.

2. Stay home and avoid driving (if you can) on warm, rainy nights in the spring to reduce fatalities.

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Want to go out on your own?‍

- Anyone who is interested in checking out this magnificent migration on their own should complete the Maine Big Night volunteer training.

- The best crossings occur in forested and wetland areas. We recommend looking on roads with surrounding forests and small wetlands (small ponds, vernal pools, marshes, etc.). Moving water, large lakes, fields, and developed areas often reduce migrations or may have none at all.

- Listen for Spring Peeper and Wood Frog calls. They will often indicate the destination for migrating amphibians; roads close by are often crossing points.

- Use iNaturalist or another community science platform to find sightings of species such as Wood Frog, Spotted Salamander, or Blue-spotted Salamander near you.

- Make sure you don't have any hand sanitizer, lotion, or scented materials on your hands if you will be handling amphibians.

- SAFETY FIRST! Please wear reflective clothing and avoid busy roads.

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Resources:

- Maine Big Night

- Become a certified volunteer and adopt a site of your own‍

- Learn more about vernal pools here: https://www.vernalpools.me/

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