A Northampton County road will closed for a month beginning Tuesday to allow frogs, toads and other amphibians to cross to breed.
Institute Drive will be closed for about one-half mile from Topps Gap Road so amphibians can migrate to breeding pools safely, according to a news release from Northampton County.
Upper Mount Bethel Township and the county’s parks, recreation and conservation department are partnering to protect the migrating amphibians by closing the eastern half of Institute Drive through the county’s Totts Gap Conservation Area until May 1.
“Recommendations from the county’s Minsi Lake Corridor Greenway and Stewardship plan highlight the need for protection of critical landscapes,” the county’s parks, recreation and conservation administrator Bryan Cope said in the release. “This temporary closure is a major step in the ongoing efforts of provide sustainable conservation practices.”
The woodlands on both sides of Institute Drive are home to the “largest concentration” of natural seasonal pools and associated amphibian species anywhere in the state, the county said. Some of those species are listed as threatened and endangered.
The crossing happens when there is evening rain with mild temperatures, generally above 40. Amphibians are primarily active at night and their migration can be seen overnight so long as conditions are favorable, according to the release.