SOS Amphibians 2025: a report

On Monday, March 17, the 2025 edition of the SOS Amphibians campaign, organized at the Avigliana Lakes by the Municipality and the Protected Areas of the Cozie Alps, came to a close. This edition was innovative compared to previous years.

The toad tunnel and the nighttime closure of via Grignetto

The most significant novelty was the nighttime closure of via Grignetto in the stretch of road bordering the Mareschi swamp, where for years the toad tunnel has been installed, with the collaboration of eco-volunteers, to direct amphibians toward the underpasses that allow safe crossing of the carriageway. For a month, from February 16 to March 17, 2025, the Municipality of Avigliana issued an order prohibiting transit from 8 PM to 7 AM between Borgata Grignetto and Borgata Dino. This is an important crossing point connecting the hill slope where toads spend the winter and the swamp where they reproduce. On the morning of February 12, before installing the nets, our park rangers conducted an empirical count on the roadway and found 51 toads crushed by car tires overnight.

Therefore, the initiative by the Municipality of Avigliana to adopt an additional protection measure for species, such as amphibians, that are in strong decline due to climate change is commendable. Moreover, the absence of cars facilitated the work of park rangers and the scientific staff of the Cozie Alps Parks, who have intensified monitoring activities at night, operating safely in the dark without fear of being run over. Notably, the interest generated by these measures has also been appreciated by the comedian Luciana Littizzetto, who discussed it on her show La Bomba aired on Saturday, February 22, on Radio Deejay. Clicking here allows you to re-listen to the episode with the segment dedicated to the Avigliana toad tunnel starting at minute 26:30.

Unfortunately, it must be noted that the closure of via Grignetto also inevitably attracted some complaints and was not always respected by motorists, who on several occasions were stopped and reported to the local police by park rangers. However, the hope is that this initiative will be reaffirmed in the coming years to become a fixed appointment, rooted in the local communities and able to spread the culture of environmental protection.

Awareness initiatives

The SOS Amphibians campaign is not just about actions in the territory and restrictions, but is primarily an activity aimed at the public and all those interested in learning more about the nature that surrounds them and the importance of conservation. In collaboration with the Municipality of Avigliana, the Park Authority doubled the traditional appointment of the Night of the Toads, organized on the evenings of Friday, February 28, and Friday, March 7, when the public was introduced to the wonders of the Avigliana Lakes Natural Park by park rangers and technical staff who guided them along the paths bordering the Mareschi swamp with headlamps to observe toads, dalmatian frogs, and also invasive alien species such as the Louisiana red crayfish, the zebra mussel, and some fish caught specifically to be shown to participants.

Overall, 200 people participated, including adults and children, all interested and enthusiastic. Unfortunately, it was not possible to meet all the requests received, but it must be emphasized that this type of attendance causes a real disturbance to the swamp fauna and must be managed with great care. A crew from TGR Rai was present at the second Night of the Toads, which produced a report that aired on the Piedmont regional news and is viewable by clicking here.

Finally, the Official Guides of the Cozie Alps Parks were also involved, managing an activity focused on the food chain that connects toads with the pesky mosquitoes present in the lakes area during summer. This provides an extra reason to protect amphibians, eager eaters of mosquito larvae. This part of the project was presented to students of the primary school of Avigliana with 4 meetings aimed at fourth-grade children and during the Nights of the Toads.