Artist Notebook
The Road Ahead

The Road Ahead

The road is where our worlds meet—human and wild. Every day, roads carry us through forests, fields, wetlands, and the places animals call home. We depend on them to connect our communities and carry us through the landscape, but for wildlife, those same roads can become barriers, traps, and places of sudden loss.

Too often, that meeting ends in tragedy.

The Road Ahead began as a place to explore that difficult intersection between our lives and the lives of the animals around us. Through research, personal reflection, photography, and art, I write about wildlife–vehicle collisions, the challenges they create, and the ways we can begin to make our roads safer for the animals that share our world.

This isn't simply a blog about roadkill. It is an attempt to look more closely at something we have become accustomed to seeing—and perhaps too accustomed to looking away from. Behind every animal on the roadside is a life that existed before that moment: a life moving through the same landscape we inhabit, following its instincts, raising young, finding food, and trying to survive.

As an artist drawn repeatedly to wildlife, I believe that looking closely is the first step toward caring. My hope is that The Road Ahead can help turn awareness into attention, attention into compassion, and compassion into meaningful change.

Protecting animals on our roads is about more than preventing individual deaths. It is about recognizing that the landscapes we move through are shared landscapes, and that the wild is not somewhere separate from us. It is here, alongside us, every day.

That idea—and the hope of finding a better way forward—remains at the heart of my work. It's all for the wild.

All Posts

Roads Don't Just Cross Habitat—They Divide It

When we think about the danger roads pose to wildlife, we usually picture an animal trying to cross the road and getting hit by a vehicle. It's the most obvious—and tragic—part of the problem. But the more I learn about wildlife and roads, the more I realize that a road can affect an animal without ever touching it. A road doesn't just create a dangerous place to cross. It can divide the habitat animals depend on, separating one part of their world from another. Imagine a lar

Aug 145 min read

Why Animals End Up on Roads in the First Place

At first glance, roadkill can feel random—an unfortunate, isolated moment between a vehicle and an animal in the wrong place at the wrong time. But it isn’t random.

Apr 33 min read

The Impact of Road Collisions on Wildlife: A Growing Concern

Every day, countless animals lose their lives on roads around the world. Some species are more vulnerable than others. Factors such as size, speed, behavior, and reproductive rate determine which creatures are most at risk from vehicle collisions. While it’s often assumed that small, common animals make up most of the losses, studies show that even large and endangered species are paying the price. Understanding who is most at risk helps us see the true scope of the problem —

Oct 9, 20254 min read

The Human Side of Roadkill: Accidents, Injuries, & Real Costs

When we talk about wildlife-vehicle collisions, it’s easy to focus only on the animals. But behind every crash involving an animal is a ripple of consequences for people — from car repairs and medical bills to trauma, lost time, and even loss of life. Understanding the human side of roadkill helps strengthen the case for safer roads — for animals and us. Every year in the United States, there are an estimated 1 to 2 million collisions between vehicles and large animals like

Oct 2, 20253 min read

Why Roadkill Matters for Ecosystems

Roads and vehicles are an ordinary part of modern life, but their everyday presence has extraordinary consequences for wildlife and the systems that support life.

Sep 25, 20254 min read

Understanding the Scope of Wildlife Traffic Collisions

Wildlife-vehicle collisions are one of the most widespread and under-recognized conservation issues of our time. Every day, animals and humans cross paths on the road, and too often, the result is fatal.

Sep 18, 20253 min read

A New Direction: Art, Awareness, and the Road Ahead

As an artist inspired by nature, I’m shifting my blog to focus on reducing roadkill and raising awareness about wildlife traffic collisions. Over one million animals are killed on U.S. roads every day, impacting both wildlife and humans. Through art, research, and practical solutions, I hope to share knowledge, inspire change, and help create safer roads for all.

Sep 12, 20253 min read

Artist Notebook The Road Ahead