Despite storm warnings, devoted “Toad Detour” volunteers took to the streets of Upper Roxborough Thursday to help thousands of toadlets cross the intersection of Port Royal Avenue and Eva Street.
For the second spring in a row, Toad Detour volunteers have acted as crossing guards for the adult American toads as they migrate across Hagy Mill Road and Port Royal Avenue to their mating grounds at the Roxborough Reservoir in the spring, according to the group's website.
But this year, volunteers want to make sure they cover all their bases and are working to protect thousands of toadlets as they migrate back from the reservoir. Thousands of toadlets crossed Port Royal Avenue over the weekend, prompting volunteers to set up barricades and redirect traffic around the block.
Lisa Levinson, coordinator of the Toad Detour said that while most community members were supportive of their efforts, others aren’t as understanding.
“Some people are incredibly irate and frustrated that it will take them an extra minute,” Levinson told NBC Philadelphia. “But we let them know that by not going this way, you’re saving thousands of lives.”
About the size of a spider, the toadlets resemble pebbles on the road and usually go unnoticed by drivers.
“They can mow down with their car, like, a thousand toadlets without even realizing,” Levinson said.
But they should become easier to spot as the weeks go on; toadlets migrating farther from the road will be bigger in size, Levinson said.
The Philadelphia Streets Department provided a permit again this year allowing volunteers to block off Prince Royal Avenue from 7 to 9 p.m. up until June 30. But Levinson thinks it will only be a couple more weeks.
“We’re still learning how and when they migrate. We know this is just the beginning,” Levinson said.
