A Helping Hand

Just after 7:00 p.m. on a drizzly March night, Jeff Mazur put up construction horses across Henry Road in Amherst, Massachusetts. Signs read “detour” directing drivers to turn instead of continuing on the road.

Beyond the barricades, dozens of volunteers from the Hitchcock Center for the Environment scurried across the street with leaf-filled containers. Each one held precious cargo: salamanders. The volunteers were carrying the amphibians across the road to help them on their annual spring migration. The center calls these evenings “big migrations.” (Other groups call them “big nights.”) Mazur worked with Amherst officials in 2023 to close the roads for the migrations. Now fewer salamanders, wood frogs, and other species get smooshed by cars.

“It’s an amazing project, and you really feel like you’re helping these creatures,” says Mazur. He’s the environmental educator at the Hitchcock Center. “It’s great for cultivating nature stewards.”

It was just after 7:00 p.m. on a drizzly March night in Amherst, Massachusetts. Jeff Mazur put up barricades across Henry Road. Signs directed drivers to go around the area. Something important was happening.

Behind the barricades, dozens of people hurried across the street. They were volunteers from the Hitchcock Center for the Environment. They carried containers filled with leaves. Each one also held precious cargo: salamanders!

Salamanders and many other amphibians migrate every spring. The volunteers were carrying them across the road to help. The Hitchcock Center calls these evenings “big migrations.” (Other groups call them “big nights.”) Mazur is the environmental educator at the center. Since 2023, he has worked with Amherst officials to close the roads the animals migrate across. Now fewer salamanders, wood frogs, and other species get run over by cars.

“It’s an amazing project, and you really feel like you’re helping these creatures,” says Mazur. Plus, it helps more people get excited about caring for nature, he adds.

The Amherst volunteers mainly help yellow-spotted salamanders. This species is named for the two rows of bright-yellow dots along its back. The animals can be found across most of North America, from Canada to southern Georgia and from the Atlantic coast to Texas.

All salamander species play a crucial role in an ecosystem. They eat insects and other small critters, helping keep populations in check. Salamanders that lay their eggs in water live in or near wetlands. Their presence gives scientists clues about the health of the ecosystem. Too few could be an indicator of overdevelopment or drought.

Every spring after the ground thaws—when the temperature is just right and rain is falling—salamanders get on the move. They travel from their winter residences in burrows to vernal pools. These are temporary seasonal ponds where salamanders mate and lay their eggs. These trips happen at night and can be dangerous—especially when the salamanders have to cross a road. That’s where humans lend a helping hand.

On big nights across the U.S., people shuttle the migrating amphibians to safety. These include species like blue-spotted salamanders in Michigan, Pacific newts in California, and more.

The volunteers in Amherst mainly help yellow-spotted salamanders. This species has two rows of bright yellow dots along its back. The animals can be found across most of North America. They range from Canada to southern Georgia and from the Atlantic coast to Texas.

Salamanders are important parts of the ecosystems where they live. They eat insects and other small critters. This helps keep those populations under control. Many salamanders need to lay their eggs in water, so they live in wetlands. Their presence gives scientists clues about the wetlands’ health. Too few salamanders could mean that there’s a drought. Or it could mean that human activity has disrupted the wetland too much.

Salamanders start migrating every spring after the ground thaws. They wait until rain is falling and the temperature is just right. They travel from their winter burrows to vernal pools. These are temporary ponds formed by the spring rains. There, salamanders mate and lay their eggs. They make the trip at night, which can be dangerous—especially when they have to cross a road. That’s where humans step in to help.

Big nights take place across the U.S. In many places, people help carry migrating amphibians to safety. In Michigan, they transport blue-spotted salamanders. Californians can help a species called the Pacific newt. All in all, dozens of species across the country get help on their journeys.

Most of the salamanders that migrate in Amherst can avoid the road altogether thanks to one of the first amphibian crossings installed in the country. Back in 1987, amateur biologist Bob Winston, known to locals as Commander Salamander, helped put two tunnels under Henry Road.

The passageways are 200 feet apart. Each is 6 inches wide and 12 inches tall. Fencing helps guide the salamanders to the tunnel entrances. Despite the safer route underneath, some critters still end up on the pavement and require a human’s helping hands.

The concrete corridors under Henry Road don’t help just salamanders. Wood frogs start the spring migration, followed by salamanders and another frog species called spring peepers.

Most of the salamanders that migrate in Amherst can avoid the road completely. That’s thanks to an amphibian crossing—one of the first in the country. Back in 1987, amateur biologist Bob Winston helped put two tunnels under Henry Road. (Locals called Winston “Commander Salamander.”)

The concrete tunnels are 200 feet apart. Each is 6 inches wide and 12 inches tall. Fences help guide salamanders to the tunnel entrances. But some still end up on the road and need a human’s help.

The tunnels under Henry Road don’t help just salamanders. Wood frogs, which migrate first in spring, use them too. They’re followed by salamanders and another frog species called spring peepers.

While helping salamanders cross the road, volunteers also count them. But estimating the entire salamander population with migration data can be tricky. When the rain starts late at night, fewer people come. In addition, not every salamander migrates every year.

To get a better idea of the population, Mazur and volunteers visit the nearby vernal pools a few weeks later to count egg masses where the salamanders mate. Egg masses are jellylike groups of 12 to 250 salamander eggs. Some can be as large as a grapefruit! Since 2023, the group has seen more egg masses than they did prior to the road closures. In 2021, Mazur counted just 16 egg masses. Last year, they counted 141—a record!

“The trend is increasing,” says Mazur. He hopes to see more egg masses this spring. He also looks forward to seeing the volunteers that come out for big migrations this year. “Go out in the rain and have an experience that is amazing and memorable,” he says.

Volunteers don’t just help salamanders cross the road. They also count them! This helps scientists figure out how the population is doing. But using the migration count to estimate the entire population can be tricky. When the rain starts late at night, fewer volunteers come. That means fewer salamanders are counted. Also, not every salamander migrates every year.

To get a better idea of the population, Mazur and volunteers wait a few weeks. Then they visit the vernal pools where the salamanders mate. They count how many egg masses they find there. Egg masses are gooey blobs of 12 to 250 salamander eggs. Some can be as large as a grapefruit! Since the roads started closing, the group has seen more egg masses. In 2021, Mazur counted just 16 egg masses. Last year, they counted 141—a record!

“The trend is increasing,” says Mazur. He hopes to see even more egg masses this spring. He also hopes to see many people come out and volunteer. “Go out in the rain and have an experience that is amazing and memorable,” he says.