Members of the Eco-Reps club cleaned litter around the city in preparation for the spring salamander migration season.
On Friday, March 8, members drove out to North Lincoln Street and cleaned up a stretch of road near the Woodland Cemetery. According to the Harris Center, who partner with the Eco-Reps club, this is an area where many different species of salamanders and other amphibians will cross the road for their migration.
“This specific site … is open to families because…the City of Keene will close the road,” said Kate Witte, campus sustainability coordinator and Eco-Reps advisor. “So we just want to make sure the site is clean for the salamanders and families.”
The Eco-Reps is a club where students help foster sustainability and environmental friendliness on campus. While they have done on-campus events and cleanups, they have not done as many off-campus.
“Usually we do on-campus but I think we’ll probably make a tradition of hitting these spots more,” said junior Chloe March, president of Eco-Reps. “With the Eco-Reps, we’re always trying to do something new, something to figure out what the problems are, how we can make things better.”
During the spring, salamanders and other amphibians come out of their hibernations and seek out wetland areas to live in and find mates. However, because their migration leads them across the road, it’s easy for them to be accidentally run over by cars. The Harris Center organizes “salamander brigades,” groups of volunteers who help the animals cross the road safely. There is one planned to take place on North Lincoln Street.
“We get the data so each time that an amphibian crosses…we get the data, take a picture of it, and we will also record if it’s dead, alive, which way it’s going,” March said. “And we give that data to the Harris Center … and it helps with road closures so they can actually close the road when they know the times and amount that are crossing.”
The event lasted from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Senior Brooke Morman attended the event and said she felt more connected to the community.
“I love going to the events, they’re so much fun. It helps you … connect with the community and see what kind of problems the local area is facing,” said Morman. “It’s really nice, too, to be able to say that I’ve given back to the community and worked with locals and the school and … hang out with my peers and do something good.”
Not only will the cleanup on North Lincoln Street help the amphibians travel safely and keep the ecosystem clean, it will also keep the volunteers safe. Since this salamander brigade is open to families, some of the litter could have been hazardous to children and pets.
“I try to do as many outings with [Eco-Reps] as I can,” said junior Ryan Rotigliano. “Even out here picking up the trash, it might seem like a small thing but knowing that it has a … bigger impact is very rewarding to me.”
Orion Corbin can be contacted at
ocorbin@kscequinox.com
