One of the great and…

One of the great and constant horrors of Windsor-Essex County capable of being beheld yearly by all, is the sheer and inescapable volume of roadkill. As habitats diminish in volume, and isolated populations increase, as infrastructure of mankind intrudes upon nature, progress has become synonymous with death.

One such isolated population, is Ojibway Provincial Park. In all of the lands that make-up Southwestern Ontario, it is not only the crowning ecological jewel of our native land, rich in life, but never free to be, it has become as renown for its life its death. By all vehicles which pass around the park, such as on the roads of Malden and Matchette, steel and rubber and exhaust have been the blindly-aimed power and scythe and breath of the Reaper. Just as if one were to pick up the Sunday newspaper and skim through the faces of the obituaries, images on social media reveal the crushed skulls and consumed remains of what has been reaped, being that which through carelessness we have sown.

As a citizen of Windsor, I am horrified. As a citizen of Canada, I am complicit. As a citizen of Earth, I am complacent.

This situation is not the exception, rather it has gone beyond the rule, for it is the standard by which we define the boundaries of a Park. We map it, we pave it with barriers and roads, and anything which transcends these we care less for its being. To quote an infamous scene from my favorite movie Jurassic Park:

"If there's one thing the history of evolution has taught us, it's that life will not be contained. Life breaks free, it expands to new territories, and crashes through barriers painfully, maybe even dangerously, but, uh, well, there it is."

There it is, and we shouldn't have to be chaoticians to figure this one out, the body count is proof enough!

For any species to survive in Southwestern Ontario, a landscape dominated by farmer's fields, cities, and abandoned factory lots entombed in dilapidated concrete, requires expansion and connectivity to new habitats and breeding populations, the likes of which zoning policies unobligingly will never commit to. In the tragic case of the Massasauga Rattlesnake, who's park is Ojibway, and who's roads have whittled down the population to nearly 12 Individuals, the "ownership" of the species which has been so concerned with its membership inside, that it fails to protect those from death outside. Instinctually, they must break free, expand into new territories, and gets reaped by the road every time!

As a citizen of Windsor, like all others, we've all enjoyed gawking at the tank which hold its living specimen within the Nature Center. Just as contrary, we all can also say we've never seen one inside the park, but that we've also seen ALL of them in photographs bloodied and flattened. In a sense, we've only ever seen them outside the park? If this is Canada's idea of what nature conservation and species protection is, then as I said, I am complicit with watching this species go to death in Canada.

This isn't even a problem isolated to the Massasauga Rattlesnake either. In all of Windsor, all the Turtles, Ducks, Fox Snakes and Garter Snakes, Frogs, Rats, Geese, Skunks, Opossums, Swans, Turkey, Deer, Squirrels, Crows, Raccoons, Coyotes, Rabbits, and dozens more, their yearly population growth is measurable equal to the loss of life one can scrape off a road. Even the mysterious and out of place Cougar that's been wandering around, it too is revealed along roads that it must cross to get to new places! Nowhere and no-how in all of Windsor, will you find as equal a population of living animals plainly seen and counted in any City Park, than versus what the Reaper claims on our city streets.

As a citizen of Earth, if I want to live in the presence of life, I have to stop being complacent upon such great death I am surrounded by. If I could take action today, I'd start immediately with the following initiatives:

1: The elevation of Matchette and Malden roads to a height of approximately between 30cm-50cm too allow small wildlife to underpass vehicle traffic, as they contact the boundaries of Ojibway Provincial Park, and be fenced to discourage jumping by deer.
Consideration must strategically also be given to medium and large wildlife, with the heightening of approximately 3m-5m to create a "green underpass or overpass crossing" sporadically at distances and locations where such animals are likely to seek crossing, and with fencing to discourage jumping.
I believe the green crossing can also be modified to create artificial bat habitat and artificial swallow habitat, which will aid in the reduction of disease carrying pest insects.
Added benefits could include population counting of crossing animals with motion-capture cameras and microchip scanners, and be used for visitor crossings into extensions of Ojibway Park and neighboring communities. As an infrastructure, beautification, and ecological project, its a win-win for humans and animals, city and park, governments and scientists.

2: The total reforestation of all City Parks in Windsor which are unused and largely abandoned. It is unrealistic to assume that today's generation has any interest in anything other than video games and selfie-photography, and such things do not occur within large swaths of unused grass peppered in abandoned dog poop.
If however nature were to return to our city's innermost parks, We The People would be more inclined to return to them, followed immediately by posting about it on social media. In one such example, during Winter 2017/2018 a Snowy Owl appeared at the WFCU Sports Arena, drawing crowds of hundreds of youth eager to snap a selfie with it in the middle of a giant parking lot.
Why shouldn't Windsor take action to create viable park habitat which encourages desired wildlife to live peacefully and healthily as our immediate neighbors? We could spend hours imaginatively lost within such splendor, at least.....until our cellphone batteries demand a recharge at home.

3: In order for the wildlife of Ojibway Park to naturally migrate and take refuge within Windsor Parks, requires a set of "green corridors" connecting the two locations. One possible solution, is to create an alliance of homeowners who'll agree to a set of rules for the maintenance and preservation of habitat designed by Ojibway Park Officials, of which will utilize the front yards and back yards of private properties, with our without fencing or modified fencing.
This will also require a modification of Municipal By-Laws to allow for the growth of plants which exceed height limitations and maintenance requirements, and an evaluation of the Provincial Weed Control Act as to whether or not it should be applied on such habitat-specific private properties?
Another issue is to the feral pet problem, such as Domestic Cats which are a contributing factor to the population decline of many native species, such as the Massasauga Rattlesnake. The only reasonable solution I can think of, is to make illegal the existence of outdoor free-ranging pets within Windsor unless kept in an inescapable enclosure. For cats, the use of a Cat Coop is trendy and easy to install and maintain by any owner, and actually keeps their Cat safer than if they were to free-range, and will aid in the reduction of the feral population as a breeding preventative by preventing access to mates.
This in turn, will allow native wildlife to naturally breed without predatory stresses by domestic pets. It must especially be implemented in green corridor areas, otherwise wild animals would be running a gauntlet of cats and dogs.

4: Massasauga Rattlesnake Captive Breeding. That which is left within Ojibway Park, will die the moment it attempts crossing out of the Park, it's a guaranteed death sentence. They should be captured and bred, and contained until actions 1, 2, and 3, are implemented. Otherwise, what is sown will be reaped, and I will see those pictures on my social media platform, and I will think of Canada.

Notice how I didn't suggest "public awareness campaigns"? Well, that's because We The People are aware, which is why I submit my thoughts and findings of this tragic situation. Now is the time for action, and any government agency who doesn't act, doesn't gain my respect. Death is here and now, action for survival is a must! 12 today, 11 tomorrow.....

- A Citizen of Windsor Ontario, October 2nd 2018.