Help us save the newts!

We recently started a GoFundMe campaign, to help us fund the upcoming Newt Patrol season. Money raised will cover our annual accident insurance and some safety gear. Even if you can't join us in person, you can still support our efforts!

From the campaign page -

The Newt Patrol is a group of community scientists in the San Francisco South Bay area. We have been surveying an ongoing roadkill massacre of two species of Pacific Newts in Santa Clara County near Lexington Reservoir since 2017.

About 5,000 newts are killed every year by cars and bikes on Alma Bridge Road, the Lexington Reservoir County Park’s only access road.

We have documented approximately 40,000 dead newts so far, representing one of the highest rates of amphibian roadkill mortality known worldwide.

Midpeninsula Regional Open Space has invested significant time and money into exploring mitigation measures and developed a newt passage project, but local extinction is a horrifyingly real possibility if measures are not enacted quickly. Since season 2023/2024, the documented number of roadkill has dropped precipitously which may be an indicator of decimation of the population.

The newt passage project is making some progress, but slowly. For this reason we launched our Assisted Migration program in December 2025. During this four month pilot we were able to save 841 newts, along with other salamanders, frogs, toads, and many insects and spiders. The Assisted Migration volunteers go out at night once rainy season begins and we help the newts off the road. Alma Bridge road is narrow, no shoulders in some areas and no street lights, so we had to come up with a plan to keep us safe. We decided to invest in accident insurance, hi-vis vests and lots of lighting and signage, all of which can get expensive when you're a small group.

We also participate in several tabling events throughout the year to speak with people about our program, so a canopy with a Newt Patrol logo is on the wish list!

You can view the campaign page and donate here.