<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2JwBp1_1H13hnzh00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2JwBp1_1H13hnzh00" width="640" height="400" ></figure><p>PORTLAND, OR – After two years and more than 5,600 photos submitted by volunteers, a statewide crowdsourcing project is helping Oregon biologists track where vehicles are killing wildlife and which species are affected.</p><p>Launched in 2024 by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Zoo, the Roadkills of Oregon project mobilizes residents to photograph and document roadkill. More than 890 people across the state have contributed observations covering hundreds of species, ranging from butterflies to badgers.</p><p>Oregon has the highest rate of wildlife-vehicle collisions on the West Coast, with an estimated 14.5 million animals killed on state roads annually. Historically, agencies primarily tracked collisions involving large animals like deer and elk, leaving gaps in data for smaller wildlife.</p><p>“Thanks to these volunteers, we’re now seeing many of the other species that are being killed, and, importantly, where those deaths are occurring,” said Rachel Wheat, an ODFW wildlife connectivity biologist. “Before this project, we had a very incomplete picture of what was happening on Oregon’s roads.”</p><div style="position:relative;width:100%; height:0; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-DzDx-G6G3U?feature=oembed" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" style="width:100%; height:100%;top:0; left:0; position:absolute"></iframe></div><p>Porcupines, rough-skinned newts and five types of snakes are among the most frequently documented species. Volunteers have also recorded 36 species identified by the state as declining or of conservation concern, including marten, fisher, golden eagles and northwestern pond turtles.</p><p>“Every animal on the shoulder of the road is a data point we’ve been driving past for decades,” said Shervin Hess, Oregon Zoo conservation manager. “It’s been amazing to see Oregonians from every corner of the state pull over and pay attention. Every photo fills in the map, and every observation points us toward a solution for protecting wildlife.”</p><p>Biologists are using the data to identify roadkill hotspots and prioritize where to place solutions, which range from strategically placed plantings to wildlife overpasses, culverts and underpasses.</p><p>In the Portland area, for example, red-legged frogs must cross two roads and a set of railroad tracks to reach their breeding ponds. In 2024, the Palensky Wildlife Underpass on U.S. Highway 30 opened as Oregon’s first amphibian underpass. Camera-trap monitoring during its first two years recorded more than 33 species using the structure, including hundreds of red-legged frogs.</p><p>ODFW and the Oregon Zoo continue to encourage residents to document roadkill anywhere in the state using the free iNaturalist app.</p><p><b>More information:</b> Instructions on downloading the app and submitting observations are available on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website.</p></div></body>

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PORTLAND, OR – After two years and more than 5,600 photos submitted by volunteers, a statewide crowdsourcing project is helping Oregon biologists track where vehicles are killing wildlife and which species are affected. Launched in 2024 by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Zoo, the...

Oregon Zoo Roadkill Project Provides Critical Data

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PORTLAND, OR – After two years and more than 5,600 photos submitted by volunteers, a statewide crowdsourcing project is helping Oregon biologists track whe

Oregon Zoo Roadkill Project Provides Critical Data

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