Every Journey Matters: Keeping Wildlife and You Safe on New Hampshire Roads

Have you ever slammed on the brakes for a deer at dusk? You’re not alone. Every year in the U.S., crashes between cars and wildlife take the lives of millions of animals and 150 to 200 people. They also cost Americans about $8 billion. The good news is that we can do something about it. Animals have to move to find food, shelter, and mates. Our roads now cut through the places they call home. People need to get where they’re going safely, and wildlife needs to get where it’s going too. Both needs are real, and our community can care for both. Register for Bear-Paw Regional Greenway’s presentation and learn from an expert Wildlife Biologist, Dr. Sarah Barnum, about proven, practical solutions that keep drivers and animals safer. You’ll hear what works for big animals like moose and deer and for small ones like turtles and salamanders. You’ll also see ideas that fit right here in New Hampshire, and how neighbors like you can help protect the people and wildlife who share our landscape. About Bear-Paw Regional Greenways: Bear-Paw Regional Greenways is your local member supported nonprofit land trust conserving land in your back yard. www.bear-paw.org About Sarah Barnum, Ph.D., CWB®: Sarah is a Principle Scientist and Wildlife Subject Matter Expert at BSC Group, Inc. She has worked as a Wildlife Biologist since receiving her undergraduate degree in Wildlife from UVM. While working for the Colorado Department of Transportation, Sarah conducted her Ph.D. research, examining the landscape and roadway characteristics associated with wildlife-highway crossing locations. This project was inspired by her first job after college as technician on the Deer Project for VT Fish and Wildlife. Sarah’s current professional focus is providing wildlife expertise to the transportation and energy sectors. Highway-related projects include evaluating methods to identify animal–vehicle collision hotspots, identifying the best locations to add wildlife crossings to highway projects, and incorporating this information into highway design to improve human safety and habitat connectivity. Sarah is a Certified Wildlife Biologist® with The Wildlife Society, serves as the Wildlife Specialist on the NH Association of Natural Resource Scientists’ Education Committee, and is the interim president of The Wildlife Society’s Transportation Ecology Working Group.