Salamander Migration 2016, Update #2

Last night we closed the road for the first time. We didn't advertise it because we suspected it was too early. We were erring on the side of extreme caution because of the incredibly mild temperatures and heavy rain. As it turned out, our suspicions were confirmed and we were the only living thing walking across Beekman Road. It is wonderfully humbling that after 13 years of road closings and protecting the migrating frogs and spotted salamanders that we still have so much to learn about the migration. As it turned out, it seems like the exceptionally frigid cold over the weekend really froze the ground and even the quick rise into the 50's and heavy rain wasn't enough to defrost it. So the salamanders and frogs that are hibernating underground or in other sheltered spots beneath logs and in rotting tree stumps just didn't have the environmental cues they needed to awaken and migrate to the vernal pools. But it won't be long now. We are carefully watching the weather and continuously assessing the field conditions and will see everyone soon. Hopefully on a wonderful, raw, wet night filled with spotted salamanders and choruses of Spring peepers, Chorus frogs and Wood frogs that let us know we've made it through winter!