Before bicycling across the United States in the fall of 2008, we decided to record the roadkill that we observed.
This project is not intended to disturb the audience, or to blame drivers.
It encourages the viewer to consider the extent and sadness of the problem, and it suggests ways of addressing it.
While bicycling past these animals, we felt no indignation at the cars going too fast to notice them.
Rather, we felt disturbed that we had never fully realized the dangers that highways present to wildlife, and we wanted to help raise awareness about the problem.
You can drastically reduce your personal impact by driving less and driving safely, especially in wild areas. Additionally, you can support programs and legislation that incorporate wildlife planning into highway construction to promote a healthier coexistence between our roads and nature.
Our route and the number of animals seen each day are summarized in the Route section. The total numbers and the kinds of animals we identified are discussed in Data. Photographs we took of the animals can be seen in Gallery. To read more about the impacts of roads and the things you can do to alleviate the problem, visit More Information.
- Katherine Erickson and Michael P. Geraci