How A Frog Shuttle Advances Coexistence

It's not just our world, is it?

This is an intensive all-volunteer effort to save a remnant population of Northern red-legged frogs in Forest Park (near Linnton in NW Portland) by shuttling them  across highway 30, two local roads, and two sets of railroad tracks to the Harborton wetland where they breed. They do the same for the frogs during their return trip home.

This population of red-legged frogs, an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species, was discovered in 2013 when a local resident left home on a rainy, unseasonably warm evening in January and found Harborton Road covered with frogs, many of which had already been squished. A group of volunteers met with representatives of Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, and Forest Park Conservancy to determine a plan of action.  Biologists recommended catching the frogs by hand and shuttling them to the wetland.

One of the enduring conflicts of our modern age is that between man and the animal kingdom. As humankind continues to expand its footprint, animals species of all sorts are continually displaced. Too often, this is done without thought and consideration of the consequences. For example, in Portland’s Harborton neighborhood, about four miles from my home, people noticed large numbers of frogs squished on Harborton Road. Not only is this an unsightly and smelly mess, but it’s also not healthy for the frogs.

This might not have been a cause for concern in many cases, but it was happening every year. So residents met with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW), the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES), and the Forest Park Conservancy (FPC). What came out of the meeting was the realization that the frogs, to get to their breeding ground in the Willamette River, faced a literal suicide mission. They had to survive not only Harborton Road but also two sets of railroad tracks and Hwy. 30, a major four-lane thoroughfare that heads west to Scappoose, St. Helens, and Astoria.

What came out of the meeting was the Harborton Frog Shuttle, which now has 40 dedicated volunteers who every year shuttle several hundred frogs between Harborton and the Willamette River and back to Harborton. The result is that frog mortality is down, and successful breeding occurs.

Even former New York Times columnist and Oregon resident Nick Kristof has become enamored of the Harborton Frog Shuttle:

Think of it as Uber for amphibians — and every ride is five stars.

This frog shuttle has worked. It has sustained the frog populations, and it has probably sustained the human ones by giving us all something to coo about. And the humans are working on longer-term solutions, such as building ponds on the Forest Park side of the roads and highway, to avoid the need for frogs to migrate across traffic.

A frog shuttle may seem silly to some. Still, to those involved, it’s a way to help minimize the damage done to a species overwhelmingly impacted by the thoughtless advances of humankind upon the animal world. Frogs are going to do what frogs do, and it’s not their fault that a busy highway, a neighborhood road, and two railroad tracks lie between them and their breeding ground.

Too often, nature gets shoved aside as we do what’s best for humanity without considering the impact on local animal species. Upsetting the delicate balance of an ecosystem may not seem like a big deal at first glance, but once ripped asunder, an ecosystem is virtually impossible to restore.

Fortunately, the Harborton Frog Shuttle is only one instance of humans attempting to accommodate wildlife. For example, in my wife’s hometown of Longview, Washington, the Nutty Narrows Bridge is about an hour north up I-5 from Portland. Built in 1963 by local builder Amos Peters to allow squirrels to cross a busy street- Olympia Way- the Nutty Narrows Bridge is one of five squirrel bridges erected around Longview. As the city’s website says:

San Francisco has its cable cars. Seattle has its Space Needle. And, Longview has its squirrel bridge.

Before building the bridge, Peters and others who worked in the city’s Park Plaza office building often witnessed squirrels trying to dodge cars as they attempted to cross Olympia Way. Too often, the squirrels lost, to the dismay of those who worked at Park Plaza.

One day, Peters found a flattened squirrel with a nut in its mouth. After conferring with others who worked at Park Plaza, the conversation turned to squirrel safety. Eventually, Peters designed a 60-ft. bridge, secured approval from Longview’s City Council, and built the bridge for a total cost of about $1,000.

Councilwoman Bess LaRiviere jokingly referred to the squirrel bridge as “Nutty Narrows,” after the Tacoma Narrow Bridge, and the name stuck.

It didn’t take long before reports of squirrels using the bridge started. Squirrels were even seen escorting their young and teaching them the ropes. The story was picked up by the Associated Press, and Nutty Narrows became known in newspapers all over the world. Animal lovers in London, Minnesota and California sent newspaper clippings, fan mail and bags of nuts to Peters. One man wrote, Little men take time to cater to big people who might do them good. Only big men pause to aid little creatures.

In 1983, after 20 years of use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge. Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced. The faded sign was repainted and in July 1983, furry guests from Disneyland (Chip and Dale and Mickey Mouse), local dignitaries, and 300 children rededicated the bridge.

Peters died in 1984, and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his dedication to the project.

The squirrel bridges have become a point of civic pride in Longview, so much so that the city now celebrates an annual Squirrel Fest, the city’s most prominent civic festival.

In Europe, efforts to minimize lethal impacts on animals have been in the works for many years. For example, the first wildlife bridges were constructed in France during the 1950s. The Netherlands alone has over 600 wildlife crossings, including overpasses and “ecoducts” that serve to protect the country’s population of deer, boars, and badgers.

There’s a growing movement worldwide to integrate the preservation of wildlife into the design of roadways. Several countries have built overpasses that incorporate green spaces making it more inviting for wildlife to cross a busy road safely.

Australia even has a crab bridge. Each year, 50 million red crabs head to the sea to spawn on Christmas Island. To assist the crustaceans in reaching their destination intact, the island built a 16-foot-high bridge the crabs could climb to reach the other side of the roadway. Thirty-one crab underpasses and 65 miles of plastic barriers funnel crustaceans toward the bridge.

It’s good to know that even as humankind continues to spread out and encroach into ever more ecosystems, there’s also a growing awareness of the impact that growth can have. That awareness may not stop development, but it can help minimize the senseless destruction of habitat and animals.

A frog shuttle or a squirrel bridge may not seem like much, but every effort to advance coexistence helps maximize harmony and minimize destruction.

Besides, how cool must it be to watch thousands of red crabs climbing a bridge?

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