5 November 2005
Twelve volunteers from the OU Wildlife Club built
two 200' drift fences on the roadside just north of Mineral Ohio on
HWY 356. Many salamanders tried crossing the highway in this area
last spring to reach the breeding grounds but sadly many of them were
hit by vehicles as they attempted to cross the road. In an effort to
decrease road mortality and increase the number of adults that reach
the breeding ponds, OU Wildlife Club and Ohio Department of
Transportation (ODOT) have worked together to install these fences
that will prevent the salamanders from reaching the road. Instead,
the salamanders will be captured in buckets buried along the fence
and student volunteers from Ohio University will monitor the fence
and release the salamanders on the proper side of the
road. Information from this project will be used by ODOT to build a
proper wildlife crossing under the road and a permanent fence to
guide the salamanders to the safer crossing.
Digging the trench.
This looks like hard work.
Installing the fence.
More digging.
The finished drift fence.
The crew.
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Last updated 17 April 2006.