[NatureNS] Volunteers hop to rescue of migrating Western toadlets -- Chronicle

Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:00:13 -0300
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Cc: John Gilhen <GILHENJA@gov.ns.ca>
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Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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--Boundary_(ID_MgoRZuOIPehzyAK6vyRwIg)
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How many people discovered this story and read far enough to see that =20=

probably somebody, either the reporter? or the volunteers here?, were =20=

really "screwed up" regarding which way the tiny toadlets should have =20=

been wanting to disperse!!??  Of course, the breeding had been in the =20=

marsh, and their destination after transpormation is the uplands =20
(forest?).

Another no-no for me in this story is referring to the common name of =20=

the species here as the "Western toad" -- since western is not a =20
proper noun, the correct name is either Western Toad or western toad, =20=

but not as printed.  How it is written in the story is like taking my =20=

name and writing it as Jim wolford, which is getting increasingly =20
frequent in non-technical publications.  No doubt this is important =20
only to me!?

By the way, the full name of this toad species is Western Toad, Bufo =20
boreas -- also known as Boreal Toad or Northwestern Toad.  It lives =20
in British Columbia and west-central Alberta.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.
---------------------

Chronicle Herald, Monday, July 28, 2008

Volunteers hop to rescue of migrating Western toadlets

By ELIANNA LEV The Canadian Press
Mon. Jul 28 - 4:31 AM

CHILLIWACK, B.C. (CP) =97 On a recent morning, biologist Zoey Slater =20
woke up in tears.

Her initiative to organize volunteers to help save hundreds of =20
thousands of tiny Western toadlets in the Ryder Lake area of =20
Chilliwack, had attracted about 150 people over 10 days.

Although about 30,000 of the estimated 100,000 of the creatures had =20
been rescued in the area, thousands more were getting run over by =20
vehicles. And this broke Slater=92s heart.

"We=92ve saved a small amount but it still makes a difference," she =20
said optimistically.

The volunteers came armed with buckets and shovels, the kind found in =20=

a children=92s sandbox. They used the tools to scoop the dime-sized =20
toads, who were hopping in the wrong direction, and escorted the =20
critters across the road towards a swamp.

When Slater had surveyed the area before a rescue mission one recent =20
Saturday morning, thousands of the tiny amphibians had been run over =20
by vehicles, resembling smooshed blueberries on the concrete.

As a species, the toads are listed by the federal government as a =20
"special concern," or a species at risk, which is a lower ranking =20
than "endangered."

The mass migration is a result of the adult toads returning to the =20
same breeding sites every year. The females lay up to 16,000 eggs, =20
which eventually turn to tadpoles.

So, like a teenager who grew up in the country and wants to move to =20
the big city, the tadpoles grow to toadlets and are instinctually =20
drawn upland from the swamp to the forest.

That=92s where Slater and her army of volunteers came in. They turn =20
them back around and send them toward the wetlands.

Along the stretch of roads where the toads travelled a sign was =20
erected that said "SLOW. People and toads on road."





--Boundary_(ID_MgoRZuOIPehzyAK6vyRwIg)
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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>How many people discovered =
this story and read far enough to see that probably somebody, either the =
reporter? or the volunteers here?, were really "screwed up" regarding =
which way the tiny toadlets should have been wanting to disperse!!?? =A0Of=
 course, the breeding had been in the marsh, and their destination after =
transpormation is the uplands =
(forest?).</div><div><br></div><div>Another no-no for me in this story =
is referring to the common name of the species here as the "Western =
toad" -- since western is not a proper noun, the correct name is either =
Western Toad or western toad, but not as printed. =A0How it is written =
in the story is like taking my name and writing it as Jim wolford, which =
is getting increasingly frequent in non-technical publications. =A0No =
doubt this is important only to me!?</div><div><br></div><div>By the =
way, the full name of this toad species is Western Toad, Bufo boreas -- =
also known as Boreal Toad or Northwestern Toad. =A0It lives in British =
Columbia and west-central Alberta.</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers from =
Jim in =
Wolfville.</div><div>---------------------=A0</div><div><br></div>Chronicl=
e Herald, Monday, July 28, 2008<div><br></div><div><table width=3D"575.0" =
cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" style=3D"width: 575.0px"> <tbody> =
<tr> <td valign=3D"middle" style=3D"width: 575.0px; padding: 0.0px 5.0px =
0.0px 5.0px"><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 22px; "><font =
face=3D"Trebuchet MS" size=3D"6" style=3D"font: 24.0px Trebuchet =
MS"><b>Volunteers hop to rescue of migrating Western =
toadlets</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 22px; font: =
normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana; color: rgb(30, 30, 30); =
min-height: 15px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: =
15px; "><font face=3D"Verdana" size=3D"2" color=3D"#666666" style=3D"font:=
 10.0px Verdana; color: #666666">By ELIANNA LEV The Canadian =
Press</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 15px; "><font =
face=3D"Verdana" size=3D"2" color=3D"#666666" style=3D"font: 10.0px =
Verdana; color: #666666">Mon. Jul 28 - 4:31 AM</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; line-height: 15px; "><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
color=3D"#666666" face=3D"Verdana" size=3D"2"><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 10px; line-height: =
normal;"><br></span></font></div><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px =
0.0px; line-height: 15.0px"><font face=3D"Verdana" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Verdana">CHILLIWACK, B.C. (CP) =97 On a recent =
morning, biologist Zoey Slater woke up in tears.</font></p><p =
style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; line-height: 15.0px"><font =
face=3D"Verdana" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Verdana">Her =
initiative to organize volunteers to help save hundreds of thousands of =
tiny Western toadlets in the Ryder Lake area of Chilliwack, had =
attracted about 150 people over 10 days.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: =
0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; line-height: 15.0px"><font face=3D"Verdana" =
size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Verdana">Although about 30,000 of the =
estimated 100,000 of the creatures had been rescued in the area, =
thousands more were getting run over by vehicles. And this broke =
Slater=92s heart.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px =
0.0px; line-height: 15.0px"><font face=3D"Verdana" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Verdana">"We=92ve saved a small amount but it =
still makes a difference," she said optimistically.</font></p><p =
style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; line-height: 15.0px"><font =
face=3D"Verdana" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Verdana">The =
volunteers came armed with buckets and shovels, the kind found in a =
children=92s sandbox. They used the tools to scoop the dime-sized toads, =
who were hopping in the wrong direction, and escorted the critters =
across the road towards a swamp.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px =
0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; line-height: 15.0px"><font face=3D"Verdana" size=3D"3"=
 style=3D"font: 12.0px Verdana">When Slater had surveyed the area before =
a rescue mission one recent Saturday morning, thousands of the tiny =
amphibians had been run over by vehicles, resembling smooshed =
blueberries on the concrete.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px =
12.0px 0.0px; line-height: 15.0px"><font face=3D"Verdana" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Verdana">As a species, the toads are listed by the =
federal government as a "special concern," or a species at risk, which =
is a lower ranking than "endangered."</font></p><p style=3D"margin: =
0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; line-height: 15.0px"><font face=3D"Verdana" =
size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Verdana">The mass migration is a result =
of the adult toads returning to the same breeding sites every year. The =
females lay up to 16,000 eggs, which eventually turn to =
tadpoles.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; =
line-height: 15.0px"><font face=3D"Verdana" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Verdana">So, like a teenager who grew up in the country and wants =
to move to the big city, the tadpoles grow to toadlets and are =
instinctually drawn upland from the swamp to the forest.</font></p><p =
style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; line-height: 15.0px"><font =
face=3D"Verdana" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Verdana">That=92s =
where Slater and her army of volunteers came in. They turn them back =
around and send them toward the wetlands.</font></p><p style=3D"margin: =
0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; line-height: 15.0px"><font face=3D"Verdana" =
size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Verdana">Along the stretch of roads =
where the toads travelled a sign was erected that said "SLOW. People and =
toads on road."</font></p><p style=3D"margin: 0.0px 0.0px 12.0px 0.0px; =
line-height: 15.0px; font: 12.0px Verdana; min-height: =
15.0px"><br></p><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; text-align: center; line-height: =
15px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Verdana; color: rgb(30, 30, =
30); min-height: 15px; "><br></div> </td> </tr> </tbody> =
</table></div></body></html>=

--Boundary_(ID_MgoRZuOIPehzyAK6vyRwIg)--

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