"Saving them is a unique and exciting experience": these were the words that mostly resonated last Friday 8 February, during the information evening organized by the Treviso section of the National Authority animal protection (Enpa) to illustrate amphibian rescue techniques at the Revine Lago migration sites and other nearby areas of the Soligo Valley.
During the meeting, the volunteer Adriano De Stefano, with the technical support of other young collaborators, recounted his experience in the field by providing interesting anecdotes to all the new "toads" and to the different people who have been following him for years in this delicate operation of rescue of frogs, toads and other small amphibians that in the coming weeks will invade the streets near the lakes of Revine and in other sites in Colmaggiore di Tarzo and from Soller to Novena, hamlets of Cison di Valmarino.
With the first warm, the various amphibians, at tens of thousands, will awake from hibernation on the woods and descend towards the waterways and ponds to lay eggs. This migration will last about 60 nights and will intensify more during rainy days, especially if the temperatures do not drop much. In the summer, then, the young toads, born recently, will make the reverse journey and will try to reach the wood going up the road.
During this migration, the small animals, in the absence of a particular preventive action by man, would risk being crushed by cars when they cross the roads.
Volunteers, precisely because they care about this cause, will organize themselves to collect the amphibians, placing them in a bucket, and then freeing them on the opposite side of the road. Toads and frogs, coming down from the woods, will find nets, specially positioned to prevent them from reaching the road, and will meet many people ready to save their lives.
The rescue operations will take place from sunset onwards along the roadways near the sites subject to amphibian migration. Common sense, experience, adequate equipment, and a glance will be the most appreciated qualities to help small animals.
The real "rospista", therefore, cannot miss a reflective jacket, a waterproof and rechargeable torch, comfortable boots or rubber boots, latex gloves, and a waterproof hooded cape.
"In sixteen years of history - said the volunteer Adriano De Stefano - we have saved many lives. Every year we are patrolling the streets near the waterways of our area of Revine to ferry frogs and toads to a safe harbor. volunteers the deaths would be many and before our intervention, the roads, in the period of the amphibian migrations, were a disaster because many specimens died crushed by the cars ".
"Amphibians - continues De Stefano - live in many different environments and feed on numerous invertebrate parasites of vegetable gardens and crops, making them great allies for humans. Unfortunately in Italy amphibians are becoming increasingly rare and in our plains, it is very difficult to see them. The migration of amphibians in the province of Treviso is one of the most important in Italy and the work of our volunteers is recognized and appreciated ".
2024 ©