written by Ben Goldfarb, W. W. Norton, 2023
review by JoAnn Hackos

We all know that Cliff Swallows nest under bridges. In fact, the Cliff Swallows that nest under bridges have longer wings than those that nest on cliffs. As a result of a human-created environment, the birds have evolved.

Throughout this account, Goldfarb describes the roadkill problems in great and diverse detail. Paved roads primarily started with the advent of the automobile at the beginning of the 20th century. But very soon, cars had turned roads into war zones. Smooth pavement enables cars to go faster and to make louder sounds than ever before. We can witness the result on Evergreen Parkway and most of our local roads. Hardly a day goes by when we don’t see the carcass of an elk or a deer, even an occasional moose. What we don’t see are all the small creatures, including the birds, that are being killed.

But Goldfarb doesn’t leave us in shock. He talks about the development of wildlife crossings. These crossings have allowed the Wyoming Pronghorn to continue its ancient migration routes. They have provided safe passage for California mountain lions. In fact, we have just gotten a new wildlife crossing on I70 near Genesee. Note the long lines of fence posts that are in place to funnel animals toward the crossing. The design of usable crossings took many experiments to get right, and more designs are being tested. We expect in a few years to have more crossings on very dangerous Vail Pass.

In addition to wildlife crossings for game animals, crossings are now being built for toads, frogs, turtles, and other creatures to avert biological annihilation. Goldfarb traveled with a group of scientists to the Papagayo Peninsula in Costa Rica. Every few minutes they encountered a snake crossing the road. There were more dead snakes than live ones. They worked with local conservationists to find ways to help snakes cross the roads. These efforts have included groups of people actually carrying endangered migrators across roads so that they could reach spawning grounds (and back again).

Surprisingly, we learn that the world’s largest network of roads is in our national forests. Roads were created everywhere in these forests to provide access for logging, cattle raising, and firefighting. They have also become favorites of “off-roaders.” Unfortunately, not only are all the roads unsightly, but they also create barriers for animals of all kinds. Elk stay away, as do bears, wolves, and even trout. The multiple roads increase the risk of fire from vehicle emissions. Not until the Clinton administration did the Forest Service begin to remove the roads. The effort is continuing.

Goldfarb accounts not only for road problems in the U.S. He travels to Australia, Costa Rica, and Brazil to learn about the impact of roads. In U.S. cities, he reports about the roads that bring significant air pollution and disease to disproportionately impacted communities.

It’s unlikely that roads are going away; we probably aren’t going to have fewer cars and fewer roads in the future. More likely, we will continue to have more. But Goldfarb is optimistic. He points to the Infrastructure Act passed in 2021. Although it earmarked billions for highway expansions, it also provides funding for wildlife crossings and recommends prioritizing new technologies.

I strongly recommend Crossings. It’s more optimistic than I expected. I hope you’ll find it optimistic as well.