Every day on my way to school I drive a section of I-40 that has woods growing in the median for several miles. Last week on a Thursday morning there was a dead fox (roadkill) and from it's position it appeared that it was leaving the north side of the freeway and attempting to travel into the median. (the previously mentioned wooded area) That is what got me to thinking about what kind of ecosystem was thriving, growing, persisting, maybe just barely hanging on inside this miles long strip. Is there a research project for me hiding in the median? How scary would it be to park on the side of the freeway in order to do the research. There is one area in which the inside shoulder of the freeway lanes is two lanes wide. I guess it's for future expansion. I think it would be safe to park there and it is sufficient in length to allow me to get up to speed and get back into traffic.
A lot of other questions went through my mind. What would I focus my research on? Plant or animal? Who would I get permission from? The state or the feds? Does this area contain any sink populations? Is it a source population for any species? I suppose it could be both for bird species. I suppose it could be for plant species. What about that fox? I noticed today that there are a number of culverts that drain either into or away from the median into the opposite side of the freeway, which is for the most part also wooded. These could allow immigration and emigration. Are there any turtles in there? How would I find them?
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