In Russia, eager volunteers enlist to help annual toad migration

Record ID: 1819338

  • Title: In Russia, eager volunteers enlist to help annual toad migration
  • Date: 17th April 2024
  • Summary: ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA (APRIL 13, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TOADS CRAWLING MINIVAN DRIVING PAST TOAD CRAWLING AWAY FROM CAR ON HARD SHOULDER TOAD CRAWLING WOMAN PUTTING TOAD IN BUCKET TOAD BEHING FENCE TWO TOADS ON TOP OF EACH OTHER VOLUNTEER RELEASING A TOAD (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CHIEF SPECIALIST OF THE DIRECTORATE OF SPECIALLY PROTECTED NATURAL AREAS OF ST. PETERSBURG, NINO NATSVALADZE, SAYING: "A lot of toads live in the forests of this part of the reserve. This is where they spend the winter, and to reproduce they go to the Sestroretsky lowland. But on the way from the overwintering place there is a road, it is not very busy, but nevertheless transport moves on it. And to ensure the successful crossing of this road, we organized another campaign to help amphibians this year." CAR AND VOLUNTEERS ON ROAD VOLUNTEERS AT WORK (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) CHIEF SPECIALIST OF THE DIRECTORATE OF SPECIALLY PROTECTED NATURAL AREAS OF ST. PETERSBURG, NINO NATSVALADZE, SAYING: "Previously, we managed on our own, sometimes local residents did it on their own initiative. And this year, information was distributed very widely, a call for help from residents in the migration of toads, and a huge number of volunteers responded literally in a few hours, 600 people registered in 4 hours." VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEER HELPING TOAD CROSS THE ROAD (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) LOCAL RESIDENT AND VOLUNTEER, ARTEM SEMENOV, SAYING: "I read news in one of the city media-outlets that they were looking for volunteers. I like volunteering in principle, and also helping toads is basically three times cuter and something I would love to to do on the weekend. It is much more interesting, more enjoyable and beneficial both for yourself in terms of spending time in the open air, for society and for nature, than sitting at home and watching TV." VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEERS PUTTING TOADS IN BUCKET VARIOUS OF TOADS IN BUCKET (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) LOCAL RESIDENT AND VOLUNTEER, YULIA SERGEEVA, SAYING: "I am very glad that I had such an honour to help these wonderful animals, this part of our nature, part of our life. And of course I would like to participate again, and next year, and after that, so that they could live and reproduce. This is, again, (good for) demography, the year of the family (announced in Russia by President Putin). Toads will multiply, there will be more little toads, the environment will improve, in general everything will be positive and simply wonderful." THREE TOADS VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEER MAKING MARKS IN PAPER TOAD CRAWLING AND BIKE DRIVES PAST TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD TOAD BEHIND FENCE VARIOUS OF TOADS VOLUNTEER RELEASING TOADS CYCLERS ON ROAD VARIOUS OF SIGN READING (Russian): "GRAY TOADS ARE MIGRATING! SLOW DOWN SO YOU DO NOT CRUSH THEM!"
  • Embargoed: 1st May 2024 08:01
  • Keywords: ECOLOGY MIGRATION RUSSIA TOADS
  • Location: ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
  • City: ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Environment,Europe,Nature/Wildlife
  • Reuters ID: LVA001509614042024RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: In a nature reserve on the outskirts of Russia's former imperial capital, volunteers are helping thousands of toads to cross a sun-dappled road so that they can reach their spawning grounds.
    Thousands of toads hunker down during the bitter Russian winter months in the swampy pine forests outside St Petersburg, awakening in the springtime to migrate to their spawning grounds in the lowlands on the Gulf of Finland, a few kilometers away.
    To complete their small but mighty migration, however, the toads must overcome grave danger: the traffic on a single-lane road.
    The nature reserve put out a call for volunteers this spring to help the toads cross safely and were astonished by the interest it received.
    "A huge number of volunteers responded in literally a few hours," said Nino Natsvaladze, chief specialist for St Petersburg's nature reserves. "600 people registered in 4 hours."
    Eager volunteers clad in neon vests patrolled the road on a recent day, stooping to pick up the slow moving toads, who are sluggish after the long winter, and ferry them across the traffic in bright green buckets.
    "I like volunteering in principle, and also helping toads is basically three times cuter," said local resident Artem Semenov, who saw the advert about the toads in need in local media.
    "It's much more interesting, more enjoyable and beneficial both for yourself in terms of spending time in the open air, for society and for nature, than sitting at home and watching TV."
    Another volunteer, Yulia Sergeeva, said helping the toads made her feel more connected to nature and her community.
    "I'm very glad I had such an honor to help these wonderful animals," she said, adding that she planned to volunteer every year from now on.
    "Toads will multiply, there will be more little toads, and the environment will improve, in general everything will be positive and simply wonderful."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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