In the animal world, migration is a two way street.  Whether it be spring or fall, animals will move from an area where the changing season will create an environment less hospitable than where they would like to move to.

Migration paths may be very long, as in the case of the arctic tern – who roundtrip is 20 thousand miles, Or it may only be a few miles, although these few miles generally cover a significant change in elevation. Winter and summer ranges are generally pretty well defined for animals.  They tend to learn from their parents where they will spend their time.

And since there are fairly logical pathways between the summer and winter range, the animals follow the pathways they learned from parents, which were passed down from generations of ancestors. When they find something new blocking their pathway, it can be confusing to them.  In some cases they will have to learn new paths to get them to their destination. In other instances, the blockage is a severe impediment to their migration – and their survival relies on migration.

As humans and our development continue to sprawl across the landscape, more and more frequently we find ourselves in situations where we must stop and consider how we are impairing this annual journey so necessary to the survival of animals we hold in high esteem. From the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service, I’m Eric Peterson.