A Burlington road is to close for Salamanders; A good news story! The Toronto Star reports, in a relatively short article, that Salamanders overwintering on one side of a road in Burlington breed, in the spring, on the other side. Lots were killed while crossing the road.
“Starting Thursday, the [Jefferson] salamanders will not have to worry about traffic as the city of Burlington, Ont., will shut down about a kilometre of King Road for three weeks to allow for their safe passage, the fifth consecutive year the city has taken such measures.
“I’m certainly proud of the program,” said Burlington Mayor Rick Goldring. “As humans, it’s the least we can do for these little guys.””
“I’m surprised that people haven’t resisted this, it’s an inconvenience to close a road, but people seem to be quite sympathetic to it,” Murphy, an ecology professor, said. “It’s really quite commendable.”
“There’s pretty good evidence over the years from southern Ontario that if you close off a busy road, the Jefferson salamander has a better survival rate,” Murphy said.
It’s great to see a City like Burlington caring for the life in its environs; we all should be thinking this way!
Leave a Reply