Salamander Crossing Brigades

Every year, on the first warm, rainy nights of spring, thousands of frogs and salamanders migrate to vernal pools and other wetlands en masse in a phenomenon known as “Big Night.” Sadly, many are killed when they must cross roads. To help, the Harris Center for Conservation Education trains and coordinates volunteer Salamander Crossing Brigades, who move migrating amphibians across roads by hand at road crossings throughout the Monadnock Region of southwestern New Hampshire on Big Nights, keeping count as they go.

Since the program’s inception in 2007, 2,500 volunteers have helped more than 100,000 amphibians survive the most dangerous journeys of their lives. In addition, in 2009 the City of Keene purchased land – previously slated for development – to protect a migratory amphibian corridor that was documented by our volunteers. Even better: in 2018, Keene began working with the Harris Center to close that stretch of road to vehicles on amphibian migration nights! As our efforts grow, the data we collect could be used for land conservation or road projects that protect amphibians in other places, too.