The Yateley Society Toad Patrol

09/04/2026

This person is a legend! 👏🐸
There is very little Pete West of the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Amphibian and Reptile Group (HIWARG), and licensed amphibian surveyor, doesn’t know about amphibians’ and reptiles’ food chains and habitats. He came to Yateley this week to meet with some of our amazing Patrollers, delivering a brilliant information session while also checking out a couple of the local ponds we’ve been surveying.
We came away having been shown great crested newts, picked up some fantastic pond maintenance tips, and learned that our low migration numbers are, worryingly, part of a much wider trend.
As an aside – you can see from the photos just how hard it is to spot our Patrollers (even in hi-vis!). So if you’re in Waitrose Yateley over the next 3 months, please remember to pop your green tokens into our slot. It will help us provide more reflective equipment to keep our Patrollers safe from traffic during those cold, damp, dark early Spring evenings. 💚🚗 👏🐸
Thank you for your support!

28/03/2026

If you're shopping in Waitrose Yateley over the next three months (April - June) look out for us at the green token deposit. We're thrilled Waitrose customers will be helping us keep our Patrollers safe on the dark, damp roads and helping protect our amphibian population! One of our Patrollers spotted this toad trying to navigate the "human highway" while migrating back to its spawning pond.
​Gave him a safe es**rt away from the traffic so he can get down to business. It’s a busy world out there for a creature with short legs—happy to show you he’s safely across the asphalt and in the water!

26/03/2026

The toad migration this year has us all a bit perplexed. The weather conditions haven't been ideal. Ideal would be a bit more damp/soggy and temperatures a bit warmer than zero!! However, there is some spawn around in ponds like Darby Green, so they must be getting there somehow - maybe later in the night? This brave toad is marching towards Chandlers Pond around 8.45pm - determined to get some action and safely es**rted by our patroller.🐸

10/03/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17NNZHXfEF/

The Ghost in the Gully
The water in your driveway drain might be holding more dead newts than leaves this March.

The Common Misconception
Urban drains are often viewed as simple conduits for rainwater and litter. In reality, they act as lethal "pitfall traps" for migrating amphibians that cannot scale the vertical, slick plastic walls of modern gully pots.

The Scientific Reality
Amphibians are highly determined migrants. Research by Froglife and the University of Exeter suggests that a single gully pot can trap and kill hundreds of animals in a season. During the damp nights of March, newts may travel over 500 metres to reach a ancestral pond, navigating a landscape of Marsh Marigolds and Yellow Flag Iris only to fall into a subterranean trap.

"The rain called me forward," the newt might whisper. "I felt the damp scent of the pond past the Meadow Cranesbill and the Biting Stonecrop on the wall. But the ground vanished. Now, I tread water in the dark until the energy from my winter rest simply runs out."

Happening Now
With the first mild, wet nights of March 2026, a mass migration is underway. Newts are leaving their winter shelters—often tucked behind Common Polypody or Male Fern—to find water.

Why it Matters
Gully pot mortality can decimate local populations, removing the very predators that keep garden slugs in check.

Simple Actions

Install a Ramp: A simple strip of textured floor tile or a "Newt Ladder" allows them to climb out.

Check the Grates: Sweep leaves away from drains to ensure the "entrance" is visible so you can spot trapped travelers.

A small bridge in a dark hole can turn a death-pit back into a drain.

09/03/2026

Well this year has certainly been an enigma. The temperature still hasn't really reached an ideal and the weather in the evenings has been quite dry. The poor amphibians don't know if they're coming or going. Numbers are definitely down on last year, so we're really hoping with more patrollers we've managed to keep the population going. There is quite a bit of spawn in Darby Green Pond and luckily, unlike last year, it hasn't been killed off by frost. Sadly, there is no spawn that we can see in Yateley Green pond.

24/02/2026

PATROLLER REPORT for 23/02/26
3 toad fatalities
0 frog fatalities
3 newt fatalities
9 frogs saved
3 toads saved
1 toad pair saved
7 newts saved

A quiet night last night but 21 amphibians saved as opposed to 6 sadly squished. Patrollers have asked to pass on their thanks to all those motorists that have slowed down (loving the beep beep support!) and also to say how lovely to chat to interested passers by too.
Good news - one of our missing signs turned up in the undergrowth!! If anyone spots the other one which was hijacked from Chandler's Lane, please let us know. We can't afford to replace them.
More good news - 55 clumps of spawn counted at Darby Green Pond!
Here are a couple of lucky ones from tonight.

23/02/2026

2 million toads saved and counting!

Volunteer Toad Patrollers across Great Britain have now helped over 2 million toads cross roads safely, while collecting vital data for conservation.

In 2025, a record 156,227 toads were saved during migration.

One night. One patrol. A huge impact.

Want to get involved this spring? Find your nearest patrol here: www.froglife.org/tormap

23/02/2026

23/02/2026

PATROLLER REPORT for 22/02/26
1 toad fatality
2 frog fatalities
1 newt fatality
1 frog saved
18 toads saved
5 newts saved

A quiet night last night but plenty more movement this evening including this lively lot!

22/02/2026

Another of our yellow 'Slow! Toad Patrol' signs had been taken! This time from Chandlers Lane. I just hope whoever has our two missing signs are using them to help keep themselves safe as they help amphibians cross roads.

We would be most grateful if the community could keep an eye out and let us know if you see them. In the meantime we are still trying to raise funds to buy enough equipment for our Patrollers to stay safe.

Help Jo Hill raise money to support The Yateley Society