detour

Toad Detour Overview

Here you can see our parking spot and the reservoir. There's a berm in between the two areas so you usually can't see the reservoir until you climb up there. Roxborough is the highest point in Philadelphia so there are radio towers and water towers everywhere.

Reservoir

A better picture of the abandoned reservoir. It features shallow water and mud; the toads obviously love it. It's actually two areas; there is a path and a spillway in between the two. The one closer to Port Royal consistently has water in it.

Port Royal Avenue

This is a look down Port Royal, near where the main barricade goes up. The toads generally cross from the woods towards the reservoir.

The wall

As Port Royal Avenue descends, the reservoir stays flat and thus there is an apparent big rise between the two. If toads get stuck next to the wall, we generally shuttle them around it.

Hagys Mill Road

Hagy's Mill Road is outside our barricade. Adults (no little kids allowed) can patrol this road. When it rains heavily there can be dozens crossing here. It's safe on the other side for them for a while, but then they have to cross the baseball fields and (eventually) Port Royal Avenue. When there are baseball games going on later in the spring, there can be a lot of cars and people on Port Royal.

Church on Eva Street

On Eva Street there is a church (Higher Ground International Church) where a lot of toads emerge. Churchgoers are always allowed through the barricades. It's good to get the toads off the roads before the cars come through. From the other side, toads can get to the reservoir on their own, but it's quite a climb.