Tiny toadlets get a tunnel

The community of Chilliwack has constructed an amphibian tunnel to stave off deaths of frogs and toads during periods of mass migration. From the Chilliwack Progress:

There's a spot on Elk View Road where tiny toadlets no bigger than a dime were getting crushed by vehicles as they tried to migrate across the road. A new amphibian tunnel completed in June in the hills above Chilliwack should help. "One of the really neat aspects is this is a solution that other communities can implement as well," said Joanne Neilson, executive director of Fraser Valley Conservancy. There's province-wide concern about declining amphibian species in areas where development is spring up around wetlands, so the tunnel structure is being touted as a potential model for others to follow to reduce mortalities. B.C. communities might one day look at culvert replacement in a more toad-friendly way. Last month special fencing was used to guide the toads and frogs through the newly built culvert for the first time.

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