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Whistler2020 on the Ground

The delicate sound of tiny toads not being squished
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Toad Span Workers construct a footbridge to protect toads

We’re now well into the dog days of summer, the hottest, sultriest time of year when legions of shadeseekers and sunworshippers head to our local lakes and parks for a dip and a nap. But as you stroll or roll out to Lost Lake, watch your step… no one wants to preface a swim in the lake with the inadvertent destruction of baby toads.

Around Lost Lake this time of the year would be better referred to as the Toad Days of August as the Valley Trail becomes a veritable toad road as miniature Western Toads make the miraculous transformation from lakebound tadpole (swimmer) to forest dweller (hiker). In this phase of its life the juvenile toad is known as a “metamorph.” Although the Western Toad ( Bufo boreas ) may not be the cutest species using the Valley Trail this summer, it is a valuable indicator regarding the overall health of Whistler’s ecosystem and biodiversity, and the presence of Western Toads indicates good water quality.

To better help understand Whistler’s Western Toad, the Community Foundation of Whistler, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, and AWARE supported a one year long research project to learn more about the Lost Lake population. Researcher Wendy Horan worked to identify migration trends so efforts can be made in the future to help metamorphs migrate with greater ease.

“Freshly emerged from tadpole phase, the toads are tiny, usually no bigger than a quarter, and therefore often difficult to see until it is too late. However, in their congregations it will appear as though the ground is moving. Remember the saying "there’s safety in numbers"? The Western Toad has this nailed down. By moving across the landscape in large masses more survive into adulthood,” Horan wrote as part of her research.

With the metamorphs most likely emerging from Lost Lake this week, the tiny toads will be moving across the Valley Trail to enter the forest for their next life phase. Dedicated volunteers and RMOW staff joined the Whistler-Blackcomb Habitat Improvement Team (HIT) this past Tuesday to locate where the western toads were migrating and worked to build a temporary toadlet underpass to allow hikers and bikers to continue to use the trail system without trampling toads.

In general, the toad is decreasing across its range and it is important to acquire as much information as possible to, hopefully, protect the amphibian and reverse the trend as offspring return to the exact spot they hatched to lay their eggs. B.C. is now the centre of the Western Toads North American range as copious habitat disruption in the U.S. has apparently thrown the population there into a tailspin. It’s equally important to remember to appreciate the toad and its offspring from a distance. Only then will the species have a chance of surviving into the near future. These toadlets grow to maturity in two to three years, and may live 10 years or more.

As a community that cares about biodiversity we can continue to enjoy Lost Lake Park and the Valley Trail without the not so enjoyable feeling of tiny toads popping under your flip-flops as you cruise to the nude dock. For the second year in a row, Lost Lake Park will host Whistler Bioblitz. Last year in the first annual Bioblitz, 33 scientists, 12 keen volunteers and hundreds of public participants spent 24 hours looking for as many species as possible in various locations in, around and above the Whistler Valley. The final tally was 689 species. According to one of the organizers, Bob Brett, Whistler Bioblitz is less about the number of species counted and more about experiencing, learning about and understanding the scope and value of Whistler’s natural species — from bears to bats, from fungi to flying insects — and everything in between.

“We walk through this valley we call home every day and many of us do not even know how many other creatures share this space with us,” Brett says. “We’re very excited this year because the amount of folks who came out last year were just amazed at the scope of Whistler’s biodiversity and were keen to learn from the scientists on hand. This year we will have a lot of returning scientists so they will know the area better… hopefully we can find more stuff.”

Don’t miss Whistler’s Bioblitz, Aug. 9-10 in Lost Lake Park. The fun kicks off Saturday with a Swamp Monster Scavenger Hunt for kids at 11 a.m. and 24 hours of runs from noon Saturday to noon Sunday.

To learn more about Whistler’s Bioblitz, visit whistlerbioblitz.ca. To get involved in the Whistler2020 Natural Areas community task force, go to whistler2020.ca.

SIDEBAR

Western Toad facts

• The “warts” on the Western Toad are not warts at all, but glands that produce a bitter, sticky, white fluid when the toad feels threatened. The fluid can cause an animal’s eyes or mouth to tingle or feel numb. This makes Western Toads unpleasant to eat, but will not give you warts!

• Western Toads can identify predators by recognizing the chemical cues they emit. Incredibly, tadpoles injured by predators release chemicals that warn others of impending danger. Some evidence even suggests that chemical cues enable Western Toad tadpoles to recognize their siblings!

• Female Western Toads produce an average of 12,000 eggs, or as many as 16,500 eggs, in a single clutch! More than 99 per cent of these won't survive to adulthood. Those that do may live for several years, as their skin secretions are highly distasteful to would-be predators. In captivity, individuals have survived for up to 36 years!

Source: BC Ministry of Environment, Land and Parks