Episode 4: Why Did the Cat Cross the Road?

from Will We Make It Out Alive? · host Jen the Magical Mapper

It’s episode 4, Why did the cat cross the road? We’re officially on at least one podcast outlet as of today, and we’re waiting be accepted to a few others. These cats are so excited for you to join us!In this episode we open by talking about the Magical Mapper’s fear of 2-legged animals in the dark of night. I’ll have you know there are animals that get around on two legs, like kangaroos and other animals on this list! Also, Pedals the bear. Also, Jen learns that Wolverines are not Wallabies, but Wallabies are also two legged animals (just not ones found in Washington)…Whew, that is a lot of W’s!Our main story this episode was all about wildlife crossings, particularly the new crossings on I-90 in Washington State. There are both undercrossings and wildlife bridges being built, and creatures big and small are already using them! That’s great news, because structures like these have been shown to greatly reduce wildlife vs. vehicle accidents (by over 80% in most places I’ve looked, especially when used in conjunction with fencing). There are many such structures around the world. Here’s a link to WSDOT’s older sweet and hilarious art about potential traffic congestion. Many of the whack facts in this episode came from this quiz.In the GIS segment, we discussed the Union tool. See our How-To page for more information on this and other GIS tools and concepts.If you’re interested in a little citizen science related to wildlife crossings, I-90 Wildlife Watch is looking for people to submit wildlife sightings, both alive and “sleeping” (that means dead, don’t tell Jen), along I-90. You can submit the information from your vehicle! You can also volunteer with Conservation NW to place wildlife cameras in remote locations to help scientists track which species and how many of each are present in Washington. One that is making a bit of a comeback is the wolverine (not to be confused with the wallaby). These remote opportunities are popular so they may not have space available. You can also donate so they can expand the program and add more camera sites.As always, thank you so much for visiting, and please subscribe to our podcast. We’re on Google Play Music, and hope to be on Apple Podcasts and a few others soon as well. We’d appreciate it if you’d rate and review us once the podcast is up, especially on Apple Podcasts (we’re trying to get into New and Noteworthy, so everything helps)! You cats are the coolest!

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 22, 2019

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What this episode covers

In our fourth episode, Jen shares a story about a backpacking trip to the coast and her encounter with a two legged animal. Then we discuss how to get cats, like cougars, like Jens, across the road and other wildlife and why it is important for both the wildlife and people. Jen discusses the Union tool in GIS and shares some of the habitat requirements of the magical mapper cat and how the union tool can help identify areas that would be suitable for such a cat. Finally, we share some cool opportunities to help document the wildlife presence on I-90 near Snoqulamie Pass or for those searching for more adventure, adopting a remote camera.