Volunteers Brave Rainy Nights to Help Migrating Amphibians Cross Roads Safely

Tompkins County Amphibian Patrol (TCAMP) organizes community science project to document and protect local salamanders and frogs.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 2:56am

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As winter ends, thousands of salamanders and frogs emerge from their upland habitats in the Northeast to find temporary spring pools where they lay their eggs. But when a road stands between them and their breeding grounds, up to 30% of a local population can be killed by cars in a single night. That's why volunteers in Tompkins County, New York are donning reflective vests and headlamps and heading out into the cold, dark rain to help the local amphibians cross roads safely as part of the Tompkins County Amphibian Patrol (TCAMP) community science project.

Why it matters

Amphibians are among the most threatened vertebrate groups on the planet, with almost half of all amphibian species threatened or endangered. Road mortality is a major threat, as salamanders and frogs are not adapted to navigate roads and can be killed in large numbers trying to cross. The data collected by TCAMP volunteers can help inform conservation efforts and further research to protect local amphibian populations.

The details

TCAMP is a 3-year-old organization run by two Cornell graduate students, Stephen Bredin and Stephanie Tran, that leads an annual community science project to collect amphibian road mortality data. In spring 2025, 215 volunteers surveyed more than 100 road sites across Tompkins County, documenting 7,000 amphibians, with approximately 3,000 killed. Volunteers patrol assigned routes, tallying the number and species of amphibians, as well as weather and road conditions. This data can help identify migration hotspots, inform where to place patrols or build amphibian underpasses.

  • In early March 2026, warm weather inspired some amphibians to emerge early and several volunteer teams to begin patrolling roads.
  • On March 5, volunteers found zero amphibians but one spider.
  • On March 6, volunteers found one spotted salamander, one Jefferson salamander, and a few spring peepers.
  • On March 11, more salamanders were spotted venturing out, but the main migration is likely still to come in late March or early April.

The players

Tompkins County Amphibian Patrol (TCAMP)

A 3-year-old organization run by two Cornell graduate students that leads an annual community science project to collect amphibian road mortality data.

Stephen Bredin

The founder and president of TCAMP, a graduate student pursuing a master's degree in wildlife conservation.

Stephanie Tran

The vice president of TCAMP, a doctoral student in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology.

Brandon Hedrick

An assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, and a TCAMP advisory board member.

A Newt Hope

A self-titled volunteer team that patrolled a portion of Sapsucker Woods Road near the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

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What they’re saying

“You've got to be a special type of crazy to come out here in the rain to help save little salamanders, but it is fun, and very rarely do you have an opportunity to be that engaged with the environment.”

— Sam Rimm-Kaufman, MLA '25

“I feel like I'm getting access to this secret world coming out at night. There's all this stuff happening that we miss, but it's just a total source of delight.”

— Amelia Greiner Safi, M.S. '06, professor of social and behavioral science and public health practice

“Salamanders did not evolve with roads in mind and as a result are not aware of how dangerous they are. For instance, they'll stop on the road if it stops raining because they're like, 'Oh, this isn't a good time to move. It's not raining. I'll just wait here in the middle of the road till it starts again.' So you get these mass mortality events, even at relatively low traffic volumes.”

— Brandon Hedrick, assistant professor

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This community science project highlights the importance of protecting amphibian populations, which are among the most threatened vertebrate groups globally. The data collected by TCAMP volunteers can inform conservation efforts and further research to mitigate threats like road mortality, helping to ensure the survival of these ecologically important species.