So to a bit of history. Llandrindod lake has had a significant population of toads which likely go back centuries, long pre-dating the spa town revolution and the conversion of the lake into a site of Victorian boating and fishing pursuits. With the advent of the motor car, a road was built around the lake along with vehicular access to the golf course above too - great for those wanting to access leisure pursuits, but now a major barrier for our toads. They spend most of the year in the magnificent oak woodland around the back of the lake, but each March, when overnight temperatures start to creep consistently above 5 or 6 degrees Celsius, something stirs. They get the urge to move to the lake to breed.  

Our toads now face a journey made even more difficult by the road and a stubborn kerb edge to get over. This can be disastrous, so now etched into Llandrindod town folklore, evenings in March will see groups of people head out, armed with torches, buckets and hi-viz jackets, to rescue as many as we can. 

The Wildlife Trust's aim this year was to formalise these patrols and gain a better understanding of how many toads were being rescued each year. Formal registration with Froglife has taken place and we can now start to get a clearer picture of numbers and how healthy the population actually is. As a first step, Grace put out a call for volunteers, we set up a WhatsApp group to co-ordinate the patrols, then it was a close watch on the weather forecast to see when the patrol season would likely begin. This year, though, the toads had other ideas! 

No sooner had the WhatsApp group been set up than reports came in: toads were already on the move. Over a week earlier than the previous year, a trend that I think reflects the generally earlier springs we've been noticing over the last two decades. Patrol plans were quickly brought forward, and nightly patrols shared between myself and Grace became the new normal for the rest of the month. 

Any fears that we might be out in the cold and dark on our own were quickly dispelled. The response from our volunteers was nothing short of remarkable. Over the course of the month, well over 50 different people got involved of every age group. A hardcore of dedicated toad superstars came out virtually every night, in all weathers, without complaint. What was especially wonderful was hearing stories of people who had gone toad patrolling as children and were now bringing their own kids along - a story that resonates deeply with me and my own daughter, who first went out looking for toads in her pram! 

It isn't just toads, of course. The newt migration around the lake is just as important, and we went to some effort this year to distinguish between our two most common species - Smooth and Palmate. Our counts showed roughly equal populations of both, present on most nights we patrolled. Palmate newts seemed to move first, with Smooth newts catching up as the month went on. Then, on one wild, wet and rainy night, patrollers were treated to the sight of a female Great Crested Newt - a reminder that this remarkable species is still with us.

Some nights, not a lot happened - but that didn't make the experience any less worthwhile. Walking around the lake in the quiet dark, chatting to like-minded people, listening to Tawny Owls calling across the water, watching bats swoop low over the surface as the sun fades, spotting Wood Mice darting through the hedgerow, it's a world away from how busy this place gets during the day. 

So how do I sum up life as a toad patroller? Hugely rewarding is the first thing I'd say. The satisfaction of saving lives, knowing you are helping them overcome a human-made barrier feels, at its heart, like correcting a wrong. The passion and care shown to these wonderful amphibians was overwhelming, and a genuine bright spark in what can feel like an increasingly hostile world for wildlife. Nearly 500 toads were rescued, along with over 100 newts, over the course of four weeks. These numbers are down on what we used to record only a few years ago, which shows that our intervention is needed more than ever. 

Next year, hopefully, Powys Highways will have completed planned work around the lake that will finally consign that dreaded kerb edge to history. But that doesn't mean the toads won't still need us. After all, what better way to spend a damp and dark evening than in the company of fellow toad fans? 

Perhaps you might join us too! 

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Toad patrols were supported by the Wilder Communities Project which is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and the Ashley Family Foundation