Dispersed around the UK, hundreds of heroic volunteers soak themselves to the skin on early spring nights in order to save toads, frogs, and newts from being squished under the tires of passing cars.

This network of volunteer societies are literally transforming England by slowly walking across dark asphalt with a high beam flashlight and a high-visibility jacket, picking up amphibians and dropping them into a bucket for safe transport across the road.

They are reducing the toll of roadkill on local amphibian populations by enormous amounts, and ensuring they can keep up their valuable ecosystem services like keeping insect populations in check, and filling the spring air with their soft croaking songs.

If you don't live in a wet or rain-prone area, and you've never been on the road during frog/toad mating season, you might think "how hard is it to just avoid running them over?" But it's not that simple, for starters because they can gather in such numbers that swerving to avoid one puts your tires on another, and small frogs and news look just like leaves and twigs on the dark tarmac through a rain-splattered windshield.

Last year, England's 203 amphibian rescue groups saved at least 115,000 animals from roads.

The Guardian's Adrian Sherratt went out one night with Charlcombe Toad Rescue, near the ancient city of Bath, to photograph and participate in a rainy night's rescue operations.

This group has brought the numbers of amphibian deaths from road crossings down to 3% from 60%. When you think that in March, hundreds of mama toads and frogs cross the street with bellies full of eggs, that equates to the survival of thousands of animals.

Bath is renowned for wet areas and hot springs, and frogs and toads need to reach these bodies of water to mate or lay eggs. But being a well-developed area, it involves crossing a lot of roads.

"I find it very emotional, actually," said Angela, a Charlcombe volunteer. "And it becomes more emotional as you do it. You see a creature that's so vulnerable just sat there, and you can see it's pregnant and bulging with babies. You want them to have a fighting chance of making it to their breeding grounds."

Charlcombe has been active during the breeding seasons since 2003, and have saved over 40,000 animals from roads. There is a waiting list to join the 50 or so volunteers needed for the operation, which also crowdfunds a £1,500 sum to pay for the main road to be closed during the breeding season.

Froglife is a charity that coordinates the mass data collection that these efforts generate. They also help connect those desiring to volunteer with toad patrols in their area.

On that note, there are dozens and dozens of toad patrol groups that need new members, particularly in Cheshire, Lancashire, and the Isle of Wight.

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