MARQUETTE (WWJ) -- It's time for the annual migration of the blue-spotted salamander in Northern Michigan.
In order to reproduce, the salamanders will be traveling from land to water when the sun goes down in Presque Isle Park in Marquette.
Through April 30, a portion of a road in the park will be closed to traffic at night so the little creatures can safely make the crossing.
The interim chief of Northern Michigan University's biology department, Dr. Jill Leonard, said that before the roads closed for the migrations, hundreds of salamanders ended up getting run over. That has changed ever since one of her students helped bring the issue to the city's attention a few years ago.
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Now the blue-spotted salamander crossings bring people out who want to see and take pictures of them -- at an event aptly named "Salamander Days."
Leonard told WWJ's Beth Fisher that the community is invested with "Salamander Days," which runs from March through May. It's held by the city arts foundation and provides special activities, like an art competition and a habitat hike.
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