Roadside Wildlife Count to highlight animal-vehicle collisions during fall in Colorado

Come join the Roadside Wildlife Count - Oct 2 - 11

It’s about to be Fall and animals will be on the move. Whether it is an annual migration, the “rut” or reproduction season, or animals fattening up for the winter, animals are moving through our landscapes. Those same landscapes are now criss-crossed with roads and human infrastructure which has broken up habitat making it harder for animals to find resources and get to where they need to go. Roads are also a direct threat to animals. It is estimated that there are one million vertebrate animals killed on roads each day. 

While we all have seen roadkill, we might not fully understand the extent of impacts roads have on wildlife. As such, we want to draw attention to the intersection of wildlife and roads this fall by recruiting volunteers this fall to participate in our Roadside Wildlife Count.

Between Oct. 2 and 11, Environment America Research & Policy Center and our state organizations, Wild Aware, and other partners, will be collecting data using a phone-based app that allows you to record when you see an animal on the side of the road (dead or alive). The data collected will help tell the story of the impact of roads on wildlife over a 10-day period. We will share this snapshot of information with agency partners, the media, and decision makers to put urgency behind our efforts to get more wildlife crossings built. 

Wildlife crossings are structures that help animals safely cross roads and reconnect habitat  allowing animals to more safely move through landscapes and thrive. They can reduce wildlife vehicle collisions by over 90%. 

When you sign up to volunteer to be a wildlife tracker, you will get an invitation to join our informational training webinar on September 24th at 6pm MST. Here you will learn more about wildlife crossings and how to use the app to collect data in your state. If you can’t make it don’t worry, it will be recorded.  

Collecting data is easy to do and anyone hitting the road to enjoy fall festivities can contribute. We invite you to join us in collecting data and helping to shine a light on how we can put the wild back on our landscapes for wildlife. 

Sign up to join the 2026 Roadside Wildlife Count now!