It’s a dangerous journey for the hero of the short film Risky Routes: To cross the road, a determined toad has to avoid getting squished by cars speeding past. And as it inches forward ahead of an oncoming vehicle, its fate appears to be all but sealed — until a savior arrives and scoops up the amphibian.

Risky Routes is the winner of Bloomberg’s Green Docs competition for films addressing the urgency of climate change. The film sheds light on the plight of migratory toads, whose annual journey to their breeding grounds is disrupted by our modern infrastructure, while their natural habitats are threatened by pollution and drought. But this film is “not a sad story,” filmmakers say. It also highlights the work of volunteers trying to protect the animals, writes Olivia Rudgard. Watch the film today on CityLab: Risky Routes Showcases the Perils of a Toad’s Journey Home

— Linda Poon

More on CityLab

How San Jose’s Mayor Is Working to Build an AI Capital
The Silicon Valley city is already a burgeoning AI hub. Mayor Matt Mahan wants to do more to retain local talent, and become a leader on integrating the technology into government. 

Rethinking Roadkill
A new book chronicles the enormous ecological damage caused by roadbuilding and makes a case for highways that are less lethal to animals.

Billionaire-Backed California City Pitches Plans for Factory Hub
California Forever is now billing itself as a manufacturing center a year after local opposition forced the withdrawal of plans to incorporate a new city. 

• The USDA wouldn’t let her give up her house when she couldn’t pay her mortgage. Instead, it crushed her with debt (ProPublica/Bangor Daily News)

• Affordable housing savior, or neighborhood destroyer? Meet the developer behind San Diego’s biggest ADU projects (San Diego Union-Tribune)

• Kansas City poured millions into a grocery store. It still may close (Washington Post)

• The cities where college grads are actually landing jobs (Wall Street Journal)

• South Side alderwoman pushes for ‘Senior Bill of Rights’ as elders fight to be heard (Block Club Chicago)

• Economics Daily for what the changing landscape means for policymakers, investors and you
• Green Daily for the latest in climate news, zero-emission tech and green finance
• Hyperdrive for expert insight into the future of cars
• Design Edition for CityLab’s newsletter on design and architecture — and the people who make buildings happen
• Management & Work analyzes trends in leadership, company culture and the art of career building

Explore all Bloomberg newsletters.