Buckingham Township installed solar-powered flashing signs along Upper Mountain Road to warn drivers about frogs and salamanders crossing near the Buckingham Mountain Preserve.

The signs are programmed to flash on select evenings during spring and fall migration seasons, when amphibians move between vernal pools on either side of the road. Heritage Conservancy, a Bucks County conservation organization, partnered with the township on the project. The Robert F. Schumann Foundation, which funds wildlife and landscape conservation efforts, provided the money.

On rainy migration nights, Heritage Conservancy staff and volunteers may also be stationed along the road to help amphibians cross safely, Patch reported Sept. 4. Township officials asked drivers to slow down, stay alert and watch for both wildlife and volunteers whenever the signs are flashing.

The effort grew out of a presentation Tyler Kovacs of Heritage Conservancy gave to the Buckingham Township Board of Supervisors at an April 24, 2024, work session. Kovacs told the board that amphibians need safe passage between vernal pools and showed examples of wildlife-crossing solutions used elsewhere in the country, according to township meeting minutes.

At that same session, Kovacs asked the board for a letter of support to pursue grant funding for a possible culvert crossing under Upper Mountain Road. The board agreed to write the letter after Kovacs secured agreements from neighbors along the road. Kovacs also requested a memorandum of understanding for the township to oversee construction of the culvert. The board said it would consider the memorandum after grant approval.

Whether the culvert project is still planned alongside the new signs is unclear from available records.

Heritage Conservancy has run its amphibian conservation program for years. Each spring and fall, volunteers head out on migration nights to escort the animals across local roads, according to the organization's website. The group calls them "cold-blooded critters."

Fall migration season is underway. Heritage Conservancy's website lists details on upcoming volunteer nights for residents who want to help.