Green Bridges

Wildlife bridges, often called " green bridges" in the United Kingdom, are usually covered in native vegetation of various kinds. This is to make them appear like a natural part of the landscape and help invite animal passage. The crossings often work most effectively in conjunction with highway fencing, placed strategically on one or both sides of the entrance to funnel wildlife toward the corridor.

The concept was first developed in France in the 1950s. It took off in the Netherlands, where more than 600 crossings have been constructed to protect badgers, elk and other mammals. The Dutch built the world's longest animal crossing, the Natuurbrug Zanderij Crailoo, an overpass that spans more than 0. 8 kilometers (0. 5 miles). It spans a business park, a river, a roadway, a railway line and a sports complex.

Wildlife crossings can also be found in Australia, Canada and other parts of the world. The idea took a little longer to catch on in the United States, but wildlife bridges and tunnels began appearing there in the 21st century.

A $14, 000 wildlife crossing was constructed in 1995 as a six-inch tunnel to allow frogs (not toads, despite the project's name) to cross the newly built Pole Line Road overpass. The postmaster decorated the entrance to the tunnel near the Post Office to resemble a town named Toad Hollow — complete with a bar, outhouse, and a hotel!

Rumor has it that the frogs initially refused to use the tunnel, so lights were installed to encourage them. They then died from the heat of the lamps inside the tunnel. If they did get through, they also had to battle with birds who quickly learned of the frog-producing hole in the ground. The project received national attention, including a feature on “The Daily Show” in 1998. In January 2000, the children's book, “The Toads of Davis”, written and illustrated by Ted Puntillo, Sr., was published to tell the story of the Davis Toad Tunnel through the eyes of the frogs.