The Huu-ay-aht First Nations and the Association of Wetland Stewards for Clayoquot & Barkley Sounds, locally known as “SPLAT” have been working together to protect the Frederick Lake Western Toad population since 2018.
Frederick Lake is home to a breeding population of Western Toads, a species that is protected under the Species at Risk Act in Canada.
To access the lake to breed in the spring, Western Toads must migrate across the road bordering Frederick Lake, where they mate and lay eggs in shallow waters along the shore. Breeding adults then migrate back across the road into the forest after laying eggs. Once eggs hatch into tadpoles and grow into toadlets, the toadlets must also cross the road to migrate into the forest, which takes place in July and August.
In the spring of 2021, with the announcement of the resurfacing of the Bamfield Road and the expectation of increased vehicle traffic, SPLAT approached the Huu-ay-aht First Nations and the Government of BC to install toad underpasses. During the spring and fall of 2021 and spring of 2022, the Huu-ay-aht Watershed Renewal Technicians assisted the SPLAT team to survey the number of toads crossing the road. Two culverts were installed as well as over 300 meters of fencing to guide toads to the culverts were constructed. In 2023 and 2024 more fencing was added, and surveys conducted to find the peak crossing locations and used wildlife cameras to photograph toads using the culverts.
Huu-ay-aht Guardians, along with SPLAT crew, played a key role in night-time toad surveys, extending fences to keep toads off the Bamfield Road, and building a temporary fence extension to be in place during peak toadlet migration.
For more on the story and photographs, link to the SPLAT 2024-2025 update .
The Association of Wetland Stewards for Clayoquot & Barkley Sounds is a non-profit charity, locally known as “SPLAT” – “Society for the Prevention of Little Amphibian Tragedies” or “Scientific Protocols for Locating Amphibians in Transit”. The main project funder is Environment and Climate Change Canada, through Indigenous Partnerships for Species at Risk.
This long-term project began with surveys on Highway 4 between Tofino and Ucluelet to learn where frogs and salamanders were crossing and being squashed by vehicle traffic.
Link to a previous story: The Association of Wetland Stewards for Clayoquot & Barkley Sound and Huu-ay-aht Work Together to Protect the Toad Habitation