The Strange and Hidden Ways Roads Shape Our Planet with Writer Ben Goldfarb

Ben Goldfarb is an independent conservation journalist. His new book Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet was named one of the best books of 2023 by the New York Times. He’s also the author of Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter. He’s the winner of the 2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Science, The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, Orion Magazine, Mother Jones, The Guardian, VICE News, and so many more.Ben’s new book involves a deeper understanding of roadkill than I ever thought I’d have. For example, the average taxpayer cost of a Deer Vehicle Collision runs $6600, and you don’t want to know the cost of a moose collision, but it’s in there too. Thankfully, his book is about so much more than roadkill. Like many of the great books that delve into the world of the things we take for granted, Crossings opens up the twisted history of our roads, the strange and wonderful ways they make animals behave, and the funny and flawed characters who have been innovating new road ecology solutions over the years. Ben and I traverse all of this in our convo along with the potential for skunk superpowers and the amazing influence of mountain lion love stories. And yes, roadtrips will never be the same again. Episode LinksBen Goldfarb Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our PlanetEager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They MatterThe Biophilia Hypothesis P-22 Mountain LionWallis Annenberg Wildlife CrossingBeth PrattJeff SikichSeth RileyCalifornia Roadkill Observation System (CROS)Wildlands NetworkThe Center for Large Landscape ConservationPew Research CenterNational Wildlife FederationAnimal Road Crossing ARCPath of the PantherCarlton WardFunctional Connectivity of the World’s Protected Areas by Angela Brennan et al.Connect with Nature Junkie@NatureJunkieRadio on InstagramEmail: [email protected] (submit a microdose of nature by emailing a 30-60 second voice memo with your name, how you microdose nature and how it makes you feel so we can share it with the community)Newsletter SignupShow Production CreditsPodcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)Outro music by Tyler JohnsonEditing by Aashish M.