EVENT: Reducing wildlife collisions | World highways

With increasing traffic comes an increasing number of wildlife collisions – WVC. It is estimated that there are billions of WVC annually worldwide and 10 million WVC in Australia alone, resulting in four million mammal deaths.

A one-day symposium in Sydney, Australia, this month will focus on how technologies, from LiDAR and artificial intelligence to automation, smartphones and smart boards, are helping save lives of mammals – as well as humans.

The May 21 event – ​​in person and also streamed live online – is being organized by the Australasian Network for Ecology and Transportation and the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand, with sponsorship from the state’s Transport for New South Wales. Technologies to be discussed include animal detection and identification systems, animal deterrent systems such as virtual fences, in-car and roadside warning systems for motorists and vehicle automation.

Transportation agencies around the world build fences to prevent wildlife from accessing roads and railways and install underpasses and overpasses to allow safe crossing. There are many situations where fences and crossing structures are not feasible, and technological approaches, such as animal detection and deterrent systems, are being considered.

Presenters from Australia and New Zealand, as well as Canada, Sweden, Portugal and Austria, will explore the evidence and environmental and technological considerations underlying various options to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions. Based on current insights, options for future research and testing will be discussed. The event will bring together ecologists, transportation agencies, technology experts, all levels of government, non-governmental organizations, industry and the community.

It’s one thing to design highways and warning systems that warn people of possible collisions. It is another thing to design a warning system that animals will understand as a signal that danger is approaching. Understanding animal behavior is essential, said co-presenters Douglas Kerlin and Dr Rob Appleby.

Kerlin, a population and spatial ecologist at Griffith University, has studied the impact of environmental and conservation policies on ecosystems and wildlife. He has more than 20 years of experience working with koalas, spending time as an environmental consultant and chief ecologist at the Australian Koala Foundation.

Appleby is a wildlife ecologist and behavioral expert, specialized in conflicts between humans and nature. In 2010, Appleby co-founded a wildlife and conservation technology company called Wild Spy, which develops wildlife monitoring and management equipment. At Griffith University he is currently researching the use of smart signage in koala population control, ways to improve wildlife warning systems for motorists and the development of roadside insect repellents to prevent wildlife from crossing the road at the wrong time. go away.

Click here to view the program and register to participate in person or online.

The Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand is a not-for-profit professional association for environmental practitioners from across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Members come from all areas of environmental practice and are at the forefront of challenging and complex issues such as climate change, sustainability and biodiversity conservation. To visit the institute’s website, click here.