The Story
“Wildlife Crossings Can Mend a Landscape”
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/wildlife-crossings-can-mend-landscape
by Anne Pinto-Rodrigues
Sierra, February 21, 2024
The Pitch
In the Netherlands, thousands of man-made wildlife crossings known as ecoducts (bridges, underpasses, tunnels, aqueducts, etc.) are built to connect wildlife areas divided by a road / rail track. The intention is to allow animals to roam large distances freely, without the risk of becoming roadkill. This creates more food, habitat, and mate choices for them, thus providing long-term conservation benefits. To ensure that animals feel comfortable using these crossings, the ecoducts are covered in soil and populated with native plants, to appear as natural as possible.
These ecoducts are an integral part of highway / road planning, rather than an afterthought. They are expensive to build but essential given the scale of habitat fragmentation and the decimation of wildlife in the Netherlands, and in Europe in general. As per publicly available information, the Zanderij Crailoo ecoduct – the longest ecoduct in the world – was built at a cost of 15 million euros, nearly two decades ago.
Depending on the location in the country, these ecoducts enable the movement of gray wolves, red foxes, several species of European deer, wild boar, beavers, badgers, pine martens, hedgehogs, squirrels, snakes, lizards, toads, and even insects. Aqueducts enable the movement of otters, snakes, frogs, and fish. Several of these species are endangered locally.
For this piece, I’d interview a representative from the Ministry to discuss motivations as well as academics who can speak to the efficacy of these ecoducts. Would a piece about the Netherlands’ motivations to have these wildlife crossings, as well as any interesting observations / lessons since the early ecoducts, be of interest?