As fall settles across Oregon and animals begin their seasonal migrations, Environment Oregon is asking residents to take part in a new statewide effort to understand how wildlife moves through human‑built landscapes — and how often those movements turn deadly.

The 2026 Oregon Roadside Wildlife Count invites people to document any animals, dead or alive, they spot on or near highways. Using the iNaturalist app, participants can upload photos of everything from deer and elk to frogs, turtles, and other small creatures often overlooked in conversations about wildlife‑vehicle collisions. The project aims to build a clearer picture of where animals are crossing roads and where they’re being killed.

Conservation advocate Justin Boyles said the data will help identify where wildlife crossings — structures that allow animals to pass safely under or over highways — are most urgently needed.

“Wildlife need access to unbroken habitat in order to survive and thrive,” Boyles explained. “When roads cut through their territories, just simply accessing water sources or seeking food sources can become a deadly proposition.”

The threat is real

Those dangers are not theoretical. Oregon sees more than 7,000 large wildlife‑vehicle collisions every year, a number that doesn’t include countless smaller animals struck and left unreported. Boyles said fall is an especially active time as migration, the rut, reproduction season, and the annual push to fatten up before winter all send animals moving across the landscape — often intersecting with busy roadways.

At the same time, people are out enjoying nature’s seasonal shift. Boyles said that overlap creates an opportunity for community science.

Participants are asked to photograph wildlife only when it’s safe — never while driving or biking. Pulling over or snapping a picture as a passenger is the recommended approach. The iNaturalist app automatically logs the location and time of each image, giving researchers a precise record of where animals are traveling and where collisions are most common.

How to participate

The count runs through Oct. 25, and anyone can join. Environment Oregon will compile the collected data into an interactive map later this year, offering a statewide snapshot of wildlife movement and mortality.

Information about how to register can be found at this website.

Tiffany Eckert is a reporter with KLCC.

This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.

It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/12/tracking-oregon-wildlife-one-roadside-sighting-at-a-time/