When Habitats and Highways Collide

Roadkill is something that is inevitable in an environment where humans co-exist with wildlife. It is something that people will joke around about but it is something that causes a very large number of accidents and fatalities for both humans and animals. According to Culturechange.org, in the U.S., 190 million motor vehicles hit the road and one million animals get hit by motor vehicles. That's counting cars, buses, motorbikes, and trucks, but not ATVs, snowmobiles and other off-road vehicles. The figure includes mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, but not insects and bugs.. Many regions of the U.S. suffer from overpopulation of two species of large mammals: deer and humans. No wonder our two paths cross so often, as each year 350,000 deer fatally collide with vehicles. An additional 50,000 collide and survive. Trisha White began Defenders’ Habitat and Highways Campaign in 2000 to address impacts of highways on our nation’s wildlife and to encourage transportation and community planning that incorporates wildlife conservation. Her first report, Second Nature: Improving Transportation Without Putting Nature Second was awarded the 2004 NRCA Award of Achievement for best publication. Trisha is a member of the International Conference on Ecology and Transportation (ICOET) steering committee, a founding member of the TRB Committee on Ecology and Transportation and proud founder of the TransWild Alliance. Prior to Defenders, Trisha spent three years with World Resources Institute's Biological Resources program, and one year as environment policy consultant to USAID's Global Environment Center. In this segment of The Organic View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer will speak to Patricia A. White, Director, Habitat and Highways Program, Defenders of Wildlife (http://www.habitatandhighways.org) To learn more about this problem and how you can raise awareness, stay tuned!