Always on
This project successfully funded on 15th February 2026, you can still support them with a donation.
Toadside Recovery
St Albans, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Aim
20 tonnes of toads are killed on UK roads each spring. Back our short documentary and support communities protecting these vital animals.
Dr Julie B, toad enthusiast, helps a village join forces to save endangered amphibians. Armed with buckets, headtorches and waterproofs, they trek down the Flamstead country lanes at night to help migrating toads across the road.
The film depicts a group of people tucked away in a small village doing their part to protect our beloved wildlife. We delve into several important topics, such as the pollution of local chalkstreams, the decline of Britain’s toad population and the impact the increasing number of vehicles on the road is having on our environment. Nevertheless, we also see how important and wholesome small communities are and how so many people around us do incredible things for nature that we don’t even realise.
Every spring, thousands of toads leave their hiding places in gardens, woodlands, and compost heaps to migrate back to the exact ponds where they were born in order to breed, a journey known as toad migration. This treacherous trip has become increasingly dangerous as traditional routes now cross busy roads. Housing developments, increased traffic, habitat loss and disappearing ponds have contributed to a dramatic '68% decline in all regions' in the past 30 years. This loss is significant because toads play an important role in our ecosystems by controlling garden pests such as slugs, snails, insects, and spiders.
Data from the Guardian, Froglife
The group of Flamstead patrollers we are following, they have a special interest in their local chalk stream - the River Ver. Toads don’t normally breed in lakes or rivers, but due to the unique formation of the river, the patrollers have noticed toads using the River Ver as a breeding site. Unfortunately, due to mis-managements of sewage at the local sewage treatment centre, the river has been noticeably coated in a brown buildup and causing toad populations to decline even further.
Thanks to the help of communities of Toad Patrollers stepping in, they have managed to year-on-year increase the amount of toads that were at risk of being squashed during their migration.
Data from Froglife Toads on Roads Project
Due to the nature of this production, we need to purchase and hire equipment that is outside of the catalogue that our University provides for us. We need specialist lighting equipment for the unique nature of filming toads outside at night, and a lightweight but still high quality camera and lens too! We also require the purchase of insurance for the equipment we will be using out on public roads (the toad patrol routes), and also hope to submit the film to festivals in order to enable our film's message to reach further! All of these factors cost money! Your donations will enable us to be able to create a much more substantial and high-quality film, and every little amount received will add up to supporting us in the film's development.
Climate change is one of the biggest issues we face globally that impacts all of humanity equally. Amphibians play a vital role in our ecosystem but are unfortunately becoming endangered due to the current climate crises. Often people ask questions like “What can I do to help fight this issue?”, and we believe by making a film about how communities can help combat global issues on a local scale, we can showcase how we as a community can help and make a difference in the battle to save our planet.
Thank you for hopping onboard and supporting our journey!
'68% decline in all regions'
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made