Every spring, thousands of common toads embark on a dangerous journey to their spawning waters. Without our help, this route, at the Hofheimer-Viehweide, would be a deadly trap. Help us to get the common toads safely across the road.
Preparation and construction: In cooperation with the lower nature conservation authority of the Main-Taunus district (MTK) and BUND, a permanently installed toad fence will be erected in spring along the road in the Viehweide area. A mobile fence will be erected on the opposite side in the area of the pond (where the toads want to migrate). The purpose of these fences is to guide the migrating toads.
The work of the volunteers: Buckets are placed in the ground at regular intervals along the fence. The toads that follow the fence fall into these buckets without injuring themselves. Volunteers are on duty every morning to check the buckets. The collected toads are removed from the buckets with great care.
Safe transportation: The rescued toads are carried safely across the road in a bucket. On the opposite side, they are released near the spawning waters, where they can continue their migration.
Period of the campaign: BUND takes over the collection campaigns at weekends and on public holidays. The municipal forestry service is responsible for the collections from Monday to Friday. The toads migrate from around mid-February to June. The best time of day to collect them is early in the morning, as the toads are active at night.
You are welcome to support the town of Hofheim and BUND in this rescue operation. Every volunteer is a helpful support.
