It's Toad Detour Time In Upper Roxborough
By Molly Daly
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Amorous amphibians are on the move in Philadelphia's Upper Roxborough section, which means that it's Toad Detour time.
After a long winter spent hibernating under the leaves in the woods of the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, toads get the urge for moving -- and mating.
Volunteer coordinator Claire Morgan says starting around dusk on warm moist nights, the fist-sized critters set out on an epic journey.
"They cross Port Royal Avenue and Eva Street, and they make their way to the Upper Roxborough Reservoir Preserve, which is perfect breeding grounds for the American Toad," Morgan says.
But they need help to get there safely. So for the next two to three weeks, volunteers will close the streets to traffic for a few hours on the night the toads are moving. Morgan says most people take it in stride, and some, especially kids, are absolutely captivated by the spectacle.
"To be out in nature, it's just amazing to see the sparkle in their eyes," Morgan says.
In about 6 weeks, the toads' offspring -- tiny toadlets -- will undertake their own trek, to the woods of the Schuylkill Center, where, with luck, they'll grow up, to make the mating migration in the years to come.
To volunteer, check out the Toad Detour Facebook page, or visit schuykillcenter.org.
