Exploring Spatial and Temporal Trends in Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions to Improve and Propose Mitigation Structures

2026 Student Researchers

Jamie Plumeri '27, Majors: Integrative Conservation and Biology

Ankhus Feng '27, Majors: Kinesiology & Psychology

Past Student Researchers

Percy Zimering '26, Major: Integrative Conservation; Minor: Economics
Taylor Uem '26, Majors: Sociology and Environmental Policy
Sofia Politte '26, Major: Integrative Conservation; CRP 2024
Cayley Santella '25, Major: Integrative Conservation; CRP 2024
Alexa Busby '24, Major: Biology; Major: Environmental Science; CRP 2023

Faculty Mentors

Dr. John Swaddle (2024-2026)
Dr. Matthias Leu (2023)
Dr. Rob Rose (2023)

Project Description

In collaboration with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and partners across Virginia, W&M students are conducting action-oriented research to support the implementation of mitigation structures aimed at reducing animal-vehicle collisions in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Nearly 2 million animal-vehicle collisions occur every year in the U.S.,  threatening wildlife populations and human safety. Annually animal-vehicle collisions cause approximately 200 human deaths, 26,000 injuries, at least $8 billion in property damage and pose significant threats to wildlife movement and population dynamics (Pew Charitable Trust). With the rapid land development in northern Virginia, there is an urgent need to mitigate the increasing number of animal-vehicle collisions to promote road safety, especially migratory routes of wildlife and people.

Virginia's Department of Wildlife Resources has created a Wildlife Corridor Action Plan in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Transportation, the Department of Forestry, the Department of Conservation and Recreation and other partners to prioritize for mitigation of wildlife-vehicle collisions across Virginia. To support the implementation of mitigation measures, W&M students are conducting integrative research to prioritize areas for mitigation, to inform the design of the mitigation structures to maximize impacts on safety and wildlife populations, to explore best practices for stakeholders to collaborate on decision making, and to ensure the long-term sustainability and community support of mitigation efforts.

This is a multi-year, collaborative project that has involved students and faculty from across W&M departments and partners from across sectors. In 2023, W&M student Alexa Busby mapped priority areas for mitigation utilizing collision data and metrics for mitigation success across Loudoun County. In 2024, W&M students Sofia Politte and Cayley Santella identified partners involved in mitigation efforts, factors that make mitigation effective at proposed priority sites (using camera traps), and the strategies for successful implementation of mitigation structures. In 2025,  W&M students Taylor Uem and Percy Zimering explored how traffic sound should be considered in mitigation efforts how multi-stakeholder decision making processes can be effective in advancing mitigation of collisions. In 2026, Jamie Plumeri and Ankhus Feng will explore communication strategies that can best warn and engage drivers in avoiding collisions with wildlife and the factors that should be considered in designing mitigation structures at the site level.

Project ID - Format

23-013-26- CRP Year