We have followed 13 toads to their winter hibernation site 

 We can still use your help

Toad 14, aka Mobbie, in a underground tunnel in early November

The winter weather and cold temperatures have sent our toads underground, away from the frost and freezing conditions.  We successfully followed 13 toads with transmitters to their winter hibernacula. We are continuing to monitor the toads' transmitter signals on a weekly basis to record how long the toads remain at their chosen site.  

Jared checking the micro climate conditions at the location of the strongest signal for toad 30.

While our toads enjoy their winter nap, we are busy collecting information about the area around their hibernacula. We are collecting information such as ground cover, canopy cover, the number and size of trees, coarse woody debris, proximity to roads, forest or water. Through the use of statistics we can attempt to determine if there are any key features that attract the toads to their chosen winter rest site. However, in order for the results to carry much value, we need to have a larger sample size than 16 sites (12 hibernacula from 2015 and 4 hibernacula from 2014).  This means that we need to collect the same information at each hibernation site plus 3 random sites per hibernacula (16 x 3 = 48 random vegetation plots).

In order to avoid biasing the location of our sample plots, we generate random points in our study area through the use of GIS (Geographic Information Systems).  In some instances these points fall on public land such as the centre of a road, in a BC Park or on Crown land.  Other times the points fall on private property and we need permission to access that property for our study.

Sometimes we are lucky to know the land owner and they have given us permission to go on their land and collect our information.  Other times access is more difficult because we do not know who owns the property. We have mailed out a flyer to these addresses in hopes that the land owner will contact us with permission to visit their property.  We are currently trying to line up access for the last 15 sites so that as soon as the snow melts, we will be able to finish the remaining vegetation plots and then dive into the statistics.

You can help us by talking to your neighbours about our project and directing them to look at our blog.

For more background information on why we are completing this project as well as good examples of how we actually follow toads and complete vegetation plots,  watch the short video below.

Attempting veg plots in the snow.  It didn't work that well.