Animal transit map puts spotlight on natural highways in Peterborough

At a glance, Dylan Radcliffe’s design could pass for a subway route or a transit schedule.

“This is the Meade Creek line,” he said, running a finger along a purple line.

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Radcliffe is a graduate student at Trent University, studying natural heritage corridors.

“A natural heritage system is really just the core natural areas within the city, but it also includes the way wildlife moves between those spaces,” Radcliffe explained.

In an effort to provide a visual aid to help others understand his research, Radcliffe created the map and styled it after a traditional transit plan.

The document also highlights something else — the way roads intersect with the area’s natural highways.

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“Along this roadway, you’ll often see turtle roadkill, coyote roadkill, deer roadkill,” he said, gesturing to a busy Television Road, which travels across the Mead Creek Line. “It’s normally right in this area because it’s an area that wildlife is using to move from Burnham Woods down to the Otonabee River.”

Radcliffe said it’s his hope that the map will help others understand the impact that development has on wildlife corridors.