Since its launch in 2024, the Roadkills of Oregon project has rallied over 890 volunteers statewide to record wildlife-vehicle collisions. Partnering the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife with the Oregon Zoo, the effort seeks to fill gaps in data that have long focused only on larger animals such as deer and elk.

Why the data matters

Oregon leads the West Coast in wildlife-vehicle collisions, with an estimated 14.5 million animals killed on state roads each year. Volunteers have logged hundreds of species—from butterflies to badgers—providing a clearer picture of how traffic impacts smaller, often overlooked creatures. The project has already recorded 36 species listed by the state as declining or of conservation concern, including martens, fishers, golden eagles and northwestern pond turtles.

Expert insight

Rachel Wheat, a wildlife‑connectivity biologist with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, says the volunteer reports give researchers vital context. “Thanks to these volunteers, we’re now seeing many of the other species that are being killed, and, importantly, where those deaths are occurring,” Wheat explained. She added that drivers tend to notice larger animals but often miss the broader impact on the state’s diverse wildlife.

Local success stories

In the Portland area, red‑legged frogs face a hazardous journey across two roads and a railroad to reach breeding ponds. The Palensky Wildlife Underpass on U.S. Highway 30, Oregon’s first amphibian underpass, opened in 2024. Camera traps recorded more than 33 species using the structure in its first two years, including hundreds of red‑legged frogs.

Data from the Roadkills of Oregon project helps officials decide where future underpasses, overpasses, culverts or simple habitat adjustments will have the greatest safety impact. “Crossing structures can save lives for wildlife and for people, but they only work if we put them in the right places,” Wheat said. “Some solutions are large and expensive, while others can be as simple as strategically placed plantings.”

How to get involved

State officials and zoo managers encourage Oregonians to continue submitting observations via the free iNaturalist mobile app. Detailed step‑by‑step instructions are available online at myodfw.com/articles/roadkills-oregon. Each photo and sighting adds a data point that can guide future conservation measures and keep Oregon’s roads safer for both people and wildlife.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.