On Oct. 10, 2019, in the midst of mass PG&E power shutoffs and shortly before the outbreak of the disastrous Kincade Fire, a group of grassroots organizers and volunteers drove for miles on winding, country roads to tackle a disparate issue. It was a balmy evening, and people of all ages trickled into a restored 1883 Romantic Italianate farmhouse on a seemingly borderless expanse of Marin and Sonoma County land. Their mission had been made clear.
Delivered via email the day before, it read: "You are now a member of the 'Chileno Valley Newt Brigade,' the first newt rescue project in the State of California. We hope to serve as a model for other communities to protect and preserve their migrating amphibians." A photo of a newt on top of a person's hand was pasted underneath.
Sally Gale, a lifelong conservationist and owner of Chileno Valley Ranch, couldn't ignore the mounting death toll of newts on the roads near her home and decided to take action. So in August of 2019, she established the Chileno Valley Newt Brigade to help newts safely cross Chileno Valley Road during their seasonal migration from their hillside habitat to Laguna Lake, where they breed.
The large natural body of water in the rolling hills of West Marin is separated from the shady, leaf-covered hillside where the newts spend the summer by Chileno Valley Road. As humid and drizzly weather sets in during the fall, the newts begin their journey to the lake, often venturing onto the road where they face the dangers of passing cars and trucks. Moving slowly and freezing when confronted by vehicles, the newts are at significant risk.
The brigadiers protect the exposed creatures using a simple and low-cost solution: carrying them across the road. Since its inception, the humble effort has blossomed into a full-fledged operation involving 70 to 80 volunteers organized into seven dedicated teams.
The group also became a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, which enabled them to apply for a grant from California Department of Fish and Wildlife to do a feasibility study. With the grant gained, they hired two people to carry out the feasibility study, and about a year and a half in, it's almost complete.
"Our funder from state Fish and Wildlife said, pretty much, 'You know, other people are going to do what you're doing. So you better get it right,'" Gale told SFGATE over the phone.
Newts are a type of salamander, a species of amphibians that grow tails as adults. These native species have toxic skin that deters predators, and they boast an impressive lifespan of up to 30 years. Newts also play a vital role in maintaining biodiversity, acting as natural pest controllers by consuming larvae and mitigating diseases that can harm livestock.
In Chileno Valley, most newts fall under two species: the California newt and the rough-skinned newt. From about November to March, they undertake migrations with contrasting patterns -- California newts head from the hills to the lake, while rough-skinned newts travel in the opposite direction.
During their migrations, "Big Nights" occur when large groups of newts move together, making them especially vulnerable. Each evening during migration season, volunteers set up reflective signs to alert drivers and manually assist amphibians across roads. They also record detailed data on every crossing, including species, direction, age and weather conditions, on the iNaturalist app, an effort that saves thousands of newts and other amphibians -- including the federally listed red-legged frog -- annually.
The group doesn't just stop at roadside rescues. Their meticulous data collection has also laid the groundwork for long-term infrastructure changes. After receiving a nearly $80,000 grant, the Chileno Valley Newt Brigade brought on Cheryl Brehme of the United States Geological Survey and Charles Tornaci of Dokken Engineering to help come up with ways to get the newts and other amphibians across the road.
Partnering with these experts, they're developing amphibian-friendly culverts -- underground crossings that can provide safe passage.
"There are certain requirements that newts need in order to enter any kind of hole -- they won't just go into anything," Gale explained. "So you have to build it to make it attractive to them and comfortable, and they need to feel safe going into it." They've developed about eight different models. Of those, they'll choose one and recommend it to Marin County, which owns the road.
"If it weren't for us," Gale shared, "many of the [newts] would be killed." The numbers are striking. In the 2019-2020 season, when her group started conducting the counts, the amount of live and dead newts found were about equal -- 1,314 live and 1,519 dead. In the 2023-2024 season, not only did their mortality rate drop, but their numbers overall exploded to 15,230 alive and 4,871 dead.
Across the Bay Area, another critical conservation effort is underway. Tilden Park operations staff have worked with the East Bay Regional Park District's stewardship department to ensure safe passage for newts since the mid-1980s. On Nov. 1, 2024, South Park Drive in Tilden Regional Park closed to all car traffic to protect migrating and breeding newts -- it will remain closed to the end of March.
The detour ensures a safe habitat for the tiny, slow-moving newts who have made this park their home.
In the South Bay, a group focuses on logging fatalities. Merav Vonshak joined the Newt Patrol in 2019 and took on the role of leader in 2020. This dedicated group of community scientists monitors the severe roadkill issue affecting newts along Alma Bridge Road near Lexington Reservoir in Los Gatos. Covering 4.2 miles in two sections, they conduct surveys once or twice a week, depending on newt activity, and record every sighting on iNaturalist, like the West Marin group.
For the Chileno Valley Newt Brigade, the road to change isn't without hurdles. While the literal road -- Chileno Valley Road -- is owned by the county, the surrounding habitats are privately held by ranchers, and coordinating stakeholders has been complex. Funding also remains a significant challenge. While a grant from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife supports the feasibility study, implementing the proposed culverts will exceed that amount.
"We believe that it will be costly enough that we will need to solicit additional funding ourselves," Gale said. "We will be going on a fundraising campaign to receive private donations in order to support this work, as well as looking for government funding."
Maintaining a healthy volunteer count is also a full-time effort, and the group is always looking for additional help. In the years since its inception in 2019, it has put together an extensive training manual and releases an annual "yearbook" of its efforts.
While roadkill mitigation for large, furry mammals like mountain lions often grabs headlines -- such as the overpass project in Los Angeles funded by the Annenberg Foundation -- this initiative focuses on a decidedly different animal. Yet, its potential impact could be immense.
"Our crossings will be for very small creatures that people hit on the road and kill and don't even know that they've touched. You know, they're small, slithery things, so it will be interesting to see how much support we get for an animal that -- although I think the newts are super cute," Gale said.
Five years on, it's fair to say the Chileno Valley Newt Brigade has achieved its goal of becoming a model for amphibian conservation.
"We keep getting calls from other people, not only in Marin, but even Canada and Switzerland and, you know, some other places asking how we started our group," Gale said, adding that her brigade is always available to help other communities wanting to replicate their efforts.
Now, as the feasibility study nears completion, all eyes will be on Marin County to see if it sets a precedent for small-scale, high-impact conservation.