A frog wedding, helping hands and many lives saved
In 2021 we began actively carrying amphibians across the road at the Češnjevek Ponds for the first time. This spring, too, when the amphibian migration began, we volunteers bravely put on our high-visibility vests, equipped ourselves with head torches and buckets, and every evening carried amphibians across the road, marvelling at the wonderful world of amphibians. Slovenia is home to 13 species of frog. All frogs are on the Red List and are therefore protected by law.
In spring, amphibians leave their land habitats and set off towards the ponds, where they lay their spawn and so ensure the next generation. This is exactly when the largest number of road kills occurs, as in most cases their routes cross busy roads. To prevent such mass road deaths, volunteer campaigns to carry amphibians across the road and to put up temporary protective fences are organised every year on the problem sections. In some places in Slovenia, more permanent solutions are also put in place, such as amphibian underpasses and permanent protective fences.
The first section where we carried amphibians is on the edge of the village of Češnjevek, where clay was once dug
for brickmaking. The digging left pits that filled with water. The ponds have become a varied
habitat teeming with biodiversity. They are also part of the Natura 2000 network, an important
European Union nature conservation network that works to preserve animal and plant species and
their habitats. In Slovenia, it covers around 37% of the country’s territory. The ponds are part of
a larger, continuous wooded area between Preddvor and Cerklje na Gorenjskem and
form a special area of conservation. The forest and the water bodies are home to one of
the largest dragonflies in Slovenia, the Balkan goldenring, and to several amphibian species, including
the yellow-bellied toad and the Italian crested newt. All four are on the Red List. The second section is on the main Češnjevek – Dvorje road, which runs past Strmol Castle.
Altogether, we successfully carried more than 1,000 amphibians across the road, most of them toads and brown frogs (agile frogs and common frogs). We also rescued two newts from under the wheels. Once the wedding season was over, we volunteers naturally took a short breather, but not for long, as we are already preparing for next spring. Until then, we will take great pleasure in listening to the frog concerts and watching the little tadpoles in the ponds slowly develop, grow little legs, lose their tails and finally hop happily around the ponds.
Thank you to all the volunteers who gave their time and took part in the campaign, and to Cerklje Primary School for sharing information about it. Helping hands will certainly be needed again next spring, as this year we found another road-kill black spot at Lahovče Pond.
Eva Knific, Barbara Nikolič
Šenčur, 8 April 2024
