Every year, on the first, warm rainy nights of spring, thousands of frogs and salamanders migrate to vernal pools and other wetlands to breed. Many are killed when their journeys take them across busy roads. To protect these migrating amphibians, the City of Keene will once again be working with the Harris Center for Conservation Education to close sections of North Lincoln Street and Jordan Road to vehicles on nights with the potential for significant amphibian migration in the spring of 2024. These “Big Night detours” are based on sixteen years of amphibian crossing data collected at both sites by community science volunteers with the Harris Center’s Salamander Crossing Brigade program.
If you’d like to volunteer with the Salamander Crossing Brigades, join The Harris Center for a volunteer training on Thursday, March 14, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM via Zoom. Learn more and register at harriscenter.org/events.
A few reminders, as we wait for salamander season to begin:
- Amphibian migrations take place after dark, in wet weather only.
- Visitors are welcome at the North Lincoln Street site when that road is closed for amphibians, but we ask that only trained Salamander Crossing Brigade volunteers in proper safety attire visit the Jordan Road crossing, due to safety and parking concerns at that site.
- If you are planning to visit North Lincoln Street to observe the migration, dress for the weather and bring a flashlight for every member of your group. If you’re driving, park in the southeast section of Woodland Cemetery, and enter the cemetery through the Beaver or Greenlawn Street gates. (All other entrances will be closed to vehicles.) Please do not park on North Lincoln Street.
- When North Lincoln Street is closed to traffic, a Harris Center naturalist will be on site from shortly after sunset until 10:00 PM – but only if it’s raining.
- For more information on the amphibian road closures in Keene, visit harriscenter.org/big-night-detours.
If you have any questions regarding this post please call our office at 603-352-6550.
City of Keene, Public Works Department