Crossing Henry Street

Imagine this: You wake up from a several-month nap in your cozy hole in the ground. It’s raining and a balmy 40 degrees Fahrenheit. You know, in your tiny little bones, that the time has come for your first mating season. As you make your way south, driven by millions of years of instincts and the promise of choice mates with alluring yellow spots, you keep your black, beady eyes peeled for small vernal pools. The pools, which only exist for short periods when the Northeast transitions from winter to spring, aren’t too far, but there is one main obstacle in the way: Henry Street.

Fortunately, you have a curious and excitable crowd of humans nearby to help you on your way. They guide you along a fenced embankment to a moonlit tunnel that is just big enough for you—six inches wide and about 12 inches tall.

Lore about this tunnel has been funneled down to your generation. Eons ago (in 1987), scientists and wildlife enthusiasts from the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, Amherst Public Works Department, UMass Amherst, Massachusetts Audubon Society, and the local community joined together to design and install tunnels under Henry Street, allowing for safe passage. There are also slots on each side of the tunnel in order to prevent flooding while still keeping the surface moist for your amphibious feet.

Since their installation, thousands of fellow spotted salamanders (and wood frogs) have made their way to the other side of the road without being flattened or halting traffic. Some salamanders still need help from the bucket brigade, a group of humans who carry the more off-track animals across the street in large pails.

You don’t judge—maybe you’ll try that method next year! But for now, you can see the pools just ahead in the woods, and it’s time to make some moves and hopefully lay some eggs.

The Henry Street tunnels are some of the oldest amphibian tunnels in North America. You can learn more about their history and sign up to volunteer for one of the “Big Night” migrations on the Hitchcock Center website.