Toad Detour at the Schuylkill Center

12/02/2025

The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education is looking to give back to nature with a goal to raise $20,000 this GivingTuesday. Thanks to a generous donor matching up to $6,000, all gifts up to this amount make double the impact!

Join our mission by making a contribution and sharing our campaign so we can continue to preserve nature for future generations (of both people and toads).

Learn about the different ways we're making an impact for wildlife, nature, and our future here in Philadelphia.

11/26/2025

Happy Thanksgiving! The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education is grateful for all the volunteers and supporters of Toad Detour. Thank you for your commitment to amphibian conservation.

10/01/2025

Since 2009, the SAVE THE FROGS! Art Contest has received over 26,000 entries, from artists representing 120 countries. Enter your finest frog art by the November 1st deadline. Anyone can enter. Please spread the word to your fellow artists and art teachers. Good luck!
www.savethefrogs.com/art

Art by Polina Martina of Russia, 2023 contest finalist.

08/30/2025

Volunteer & Community Outreach Manager, Susan Slawinski, wrote an article on Amphibian Friends in Philadelphia, which was published by the Friends of the Wissahickon.

Amphibian Friends in Philadelphia
by Susan Slawinski, Volunteer & Community Outreach Manager,
Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education

You don’t have to go far to see amphibians in the city of Philadelphia, but you do need to know where to look, and sometimes listen, in order to find them. This hobby is often called “herping,” which stems from herpetology, the study of amphibians and reptiles. Amphibians are defined by their unique lifecycle, with many species adapted to live on both land and water at different stages of development. This includes frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, and caecilians.

Timing is key. Activity levels vary with the seasons and time of day. Pickerel frogs (Lithobates palustris), green frogs (Lithobates clamitans), American toads (Anaxyrus americanus), grey tree frogs (Dryophytes versicolor and Dryophytes chrysoscelis), and American bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus) can be heard calling around ponds on warm, spring, evenings, hoping to attract mates. Some species of frogs and toads exhibit eyeshine, meaning that their eyes reflect back light when a flashlight is directed at them, making them easier to spot at night.

Continue reading; https://fow.org/amphibian-friends-in-philadelphia/

📷Mark Lipshutz

06/30/2025

Unfortunately, despite several weeks of searching, the toadlets have not yet emerged en masse from the Roxborough Reservoir before the end of our Toad Detour season. However, this year, 372 toads were successfully crossed by our volunteers, with a 94% save ratio! Additionally, 83 frogs were saved! This spring saw unexpected cold snaps and some intense thunderstorms, which may have impacted the total number of amphibians observed. On the bright side, we were pleasantly surprised by the boom in grey tree frogs sightings! While the 2025 Toad Detour season ends today, Susan Slawinski, the Volunteer Manager, would like to share a few words...

"I want to thank each and everyone of you for supporting the Toad Detour program. It was a truly heartwarming experience to watch volunteers come out and work together to save the frogs and toads. I loved answering questions, seeing the excitement when someone found their first toad, and learning more about the people that make this possible. It is a bittersweet feeling having this season come to an end, but I look forward to seeing new and returning faces in 2026!"

06/16/2025

Instead of finding newly emerged toadlets by the Roxborough Reservoir, our Volunteer Manager stumbled upon another animal born this spring, a white-tailed deer fawn. Unfortunately, no toadlets means we have no crossings currently scheduled. We will continue to monitor the area until our Toad Detour road closure permit expires on June 30th. If there are any toadlet sightings, between now and then, we will post an update.

We aren't 100% sure why we haven't seen toadlets yet, but we have some theories. The cold spring temperatures may have delayed their development until July. Or maybe they are crossing when nobody is around. Whatever the reason may be, we appreciate your patience and understanding.

If you happen to spot a toadlet by the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, please email [email protected] to let us know.

06/09/2025

We are still patiently waiting for the toadlets to arrive here at the Schuylkill Center. Once the toadlets emerge, they will need to make their way up the steep embankments of the reservoir, then back downhill into the woodlands. Staff are regularly checking, but if you happen to spot one in the area, please email [email protected] to let us know.

06/02/2025

As we enter the last month of Toad Detour season, we are still waiting on this year's toadlets to make their way out of the Roxborough Reservoir. With this spring's unusual cold snaps, it is difficult to predict exactly when the young toads will emerge. Tadpole development is directly correlated with temperature, meaning that colder conditions result in slower growth. While we are regularly checking the area for signs of toadlets, if you happen across a toadlet near the Schuylkill Center, please email [email protected] to let us know!

05/19/2025

Check out this great article from PhillyVoice about Toad Detour, featuring quotes from some of our volunteers!

Each spring, a group blocks off roads to help amphibians safely cross to their mating grounds along the reservoir and back again.

05/14/2025

Toad Detour isn't the only way the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education rescues local amphibians! Today, the Wildlife Clinic successfully released an American toad that was brought to us in November 2024. The toad was found sitting on a rock with frostbite injuries, likely due to waking up too early from brumation (similar to hibernation, but for reptiles/amphibians). Our dedicated team of Wildlife Clinic staff and volunteers spent the last six months caring for this toad until their injuries healed and they were eligible for release back into their home habitat.

We believe that all wildlife deserves a second chance. To learn more about how you can support the Schuylkill Center Wildlife Clinic, please visit https://schuylkillcenter.org/wildlife-clinic/about-the-clinic/

05/07/2025

Happy Amphibian Week! To celebrate, here is a unique glimpse of what life is like for the aquatic critters that make their home in Fire Pond at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education. Comment what you see!

05/06/2025

IMPORTANT TOAD DETOUR UPDATE: Crossings are temporarily on pause as we wait for the arrival of toadlets. Based on observations and data collected, we believe we are at the end of the breeding migration for adult toads. Soon, toad tadpoles will transform into tiny toadlets and emerge from the water. Crossings are expected to resume in late May when these toadlets make their way into the surrounding woodlands. Visit our website for announcements. Thank you for supporting amphibian conservation!