It's pure instinct that drives them.

Once a year the endangered Western toads of Ryder Lake make a run for the forested areas on their migratory route.

Many of them don't make it, getting crushed on the road by the traffic.

"They’re early this year," said Fraser Valley Conservancy biologist Zoey Slater. "Fortunately we’re ready."

This week Chilliwack council offered a helping hand.

It approved the necessary road closures Monday to assist volunteers with the Fraser Valley Conservancy who will be gingerly scooping up the amphibeans in buckets and pails to shuttle them across the road.

"We are very pleased with the support this year from the city, said Lisa Fox executive director of the group. "It means that the toads will have almost a full three-day period to cross the roads, unhampered by vehicles."

Last year, there were 100 volunteers signing up for various shifts, and they moved more than 35,000 amphibians to safety, including some red-legged frogs.

Local residents and businesses were drawn to the toad rescue effort, with several people contacting the group in e-mail after e-mail, asking how they could help.

"We have never ever closed a road for something like that before," said Mayor Sharon Gaetz the day after the meeting. "But obviously this is important to our community.

"So many volunteers came out last year. It shows strong environmental concern, particularly in our hillside communities."

Reps from the Fraser Valley Conservancy were in council chambers Monday to request cooperation from the city for road closures this year to help improve on the toadlets' survival rate.

Council agreed, and the volunteers will be kicking off the the Western Toad Migration program for the second year in a row this weekend.

Motorists will have to detour onto Ryder Lake and Huston Roads before rejoining Elk View Road during the closure times.

Like Salmon, Western toads return to where they were born when ready to breed. The local population is the Western Toad Bufo Boreas, is a species of conservation concern in Canada and listed by COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) as "special concern."

This designation means that the toads may become threatened or endangered because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.

Once breeding season is over, they spend the majority of their life in forested areas for summer range and winter hibernation sites. The young western toads born at Hornby Lake in the Ryder Lake area have to cross the roads to reach summer and winter areas,

"They just can’t be re-directed elsewhere, they are following an instinctive path that takes them across the road," says Slater.

Permanent solutions for the toads are also being investigated this year, she adds.

The road closures will be in effect 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Elk View Road from Ryder Lake to Huston on July 11, 12 and 13. An alternate route is mapped out to direct traffic away from the area. Only local and emergency vehicles will be allowed. A map of the alternate route is at www.fraservalleyconservancy.ca along with a link for volunteers.

jfeinberg@theprogress.com