START OF FROG PATROL ACTIONS

These days amphibians have started to emerge after the winter. In the first warm rainy evenings, we expect the start of amphibian migrations to their breeding sites. During the breeding season the safety of amphibians highly depends on the work of volunteers on the problematic road sections without underpasses or permanent amphibian fences. Volunteers have already started with Frog patrol actions on some road sections and, where they have the possibilities, they will also set up temporary fences to prevent amphibians from crossing the road and to reduce road mortality.

Frog patrollers make an important contribution to the conservation of amphibian populations in their local environment. They devote a lot of their time and effort to the conservation of amphibian populations every spring, regardless of the weather conditions. In 2022, more than 700 frog patrollers ensured the safe migration of amphibians in Slovenia. The Coordination Centre for Amphibians (CCA) in Slovenia, part of LIFE AMPHICON project, is committed to cooperate and provide support to the Frog patrols through expert advice and information, including with the presentation  of the activities and results of the actions on the website and in the e-newsletter Regljač (in the agreement with the coordinators).

In 2022, the CCA visited six Frog patrol actions in Novo mesto (Škocjan and Otočec), Boreci, Trzin, Orešje near Ptuju, at lake Cerknica and Harije. We met with Frog patrollers on the road and prepared a short presentation or workshop about amphibians and species identification. Together with the Frog patrollers we concluded the evening helping amphibians to cross the road. We registered live and dead amphibians and surveyed road sections and aquatic habitats nearby. In some locations, we visited existing permanent amphibian mitigation measures and consulted Frog patrollers on planning new ones. You can read the results of the actions carried out in 2022 in the third Regljač newsletter.

We are looking forward to meeting and visiting other Frog patrol actions in Slovenia also this season, to present and promote their activities and make new connections.

On the photo: Male moor frog crossing the road Boreci-Logarovci

Photo: T. Smolej