Virginia Wildlife Corridors and Crossings Project: A Conservation Photography Project

Creating habitat connectivity in Virginia by creating wildlife corridors and wildlife crossings.

Creating Habitat Connectivity

Lori volunteers as a partner photographer with Virginia Safe Wildlife Corridors Collaborative.

As a Virginian and a conservation photographer, I am working closely with Virginia Safe Wildlife Corridors Collaborative and Wild Virginia to educate and bring awareness to the need for wildlife corridors and wildlife crossings in Virginia through my photography and storytelling. Wildlife corridors and crossings are essential for the safety of the wildlife and to decrease the amount of vehicle-animal collisions in Virginia.

White-tailed deer doe (Odocoileus virginianus) pausing in the woods on an early autumn morning at the Mariners' Museum Park in Newport News, Virginia.
White-tailed deer doe (Odocoileus virginianus) pausing in the woods by the roadside.

Raccoon walking along gravel road.
Raccoon (Procyon lotor) appears to be a harmless and small animal but can cause serioes damage to vehicles undercarriage when a collision between vehicle and raccoon occurs.

Opossum in Tree on Side of Road
Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) sitting in tree on the side of a road.
American black bear (Ursus americanus) strolling along a canal eating grasses on a spring morning at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in East Lake, North Carolina.
American black bear (Ursus americanus) strolling along a canal eating grasses along a rural road.  Black bears often use a variety of habitat types.
Country road at sunrise in Albemarle County in Virginia.
An early morning along a country road in Albemarle County in Virginia. There have many changes to the landscape in Albemarle County which has lead to problems with habitat fragmentation.
Red fox kit walking along concrete road in Hampton, Virginia. Red foxes and kits are frequently victims of vehicle-animal collisions.
Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) especially red fox kits are frequently victims of vehicle-animal collisions.
Wildlife Crossing Underpass at Dismal Swamp Canal area in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Wildlife Crossing Underpass that is located under a bridge on Hwy 17 at Dismal Swamp Canal area in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Red Fox Adult Walking in Grass
My image of Red Fox Vixen Walking was used in an
article written by Ellie Toler of Wild Virginia on January 8, 2022 called “Wildlife Rescue Director Discusses Importance of Crossing for Orphaned Virginia Species“.
White-tailed Deer on Side of Gravel Road in Suffolk, Virginia
“What Are Wildlife Corridors and Crossing and Why They are Important to Virginia” by Lori A Cash, February 24, 2022
White-tailed deer by Lori A Cash used in the Virginia Safe Wildlife Corridors Newsletter in July 2022.
White-tailed deer by Lori A Cash used in the Virginia Safe Wildlife Corridors Newsletter in July 2022.

Follow the Virginia Safe Wildlife Corridors (VSWCC) Instagram Page

When wildlife use an overpass built for their safe passage: Citizen-science opportunity!🐢 Look out! As the weather gets warmer, March is peak mating season for nocturnal species in Virginia like raccoons and skunks. You may see more of them out on our roads as they scavenge for food and search for a mate. We have a feeling 2023 is going to be a great year for wildlife corridor work in Virginia! 🦌 What are you looking forward to this year? Happy Holidays from VSWCC! We wish you safe holiday travels into the new year. 🎅❄ This Thursday, hear experts share Land & Wildlife Conservation policy recommendations from this year's @va_conservation Our Common Agenda environmental briefing book. VSWCC member Erin Sito (@wildlandsnetwork) will discuss recommendations for investing in wildlife crossings and habitat connectivity. Now that it is the autumn season and the trees are shedding their leaves, many critters use the fallen leaves to create shelter during the fall, winter and spring seasons. Just like these red-spotted newts are using these fallen leaves to find shelter. Today is National Reptile Awareness Day! VSWCC Project Highlight: In 2016, along Interstate 64 outside Charlottesville, Virginia, wildlife fencing was installed by @virginiadot to direct white-tailed deer, black bear, and other animals to two existing underpasses with the goal of reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions. Both structures were monitored with camera traps for two years before and after fencing was installed. After installation, deer crossings increased by up to 410% at the underpasses, resulting in a reduction in motorist crashes involving deer of 96.5% and 88% at each.

Copyright © 2022 Lori A Cash Conservation Photography, LLC

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