We tend to think of roads as routes to somewhere else. But for wildlife, those same roads can become moving fences—cutting animals off from food, mates, migration routes, and sometimes entire futures.

Environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb joins me to explore the strange and surprisingly emotional world of road ecology: wildlife bridges, salamander tunnels, migrating pronghorn, mountain lions trapped among Los Angeles freeways, road noise as habitat loss, and why the animal always gets the final vote on whether our solution actually works.

We also discuss the tragically underused historical insult flivverboob, which deserves another chance.

ABOUT BEN

Ben Goldfarb is an environmental journalist and the author of Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet.

Ben’s website:

https://www.bengoldfarb.com

Find Crossings:

https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324005896

GO DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

Companion Guide—with wildlife-crossing photos, migration videos, maps, and additional road-ecology curiosities:

https://thewildquietco.substack.com

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing:

https://101wildlifecrossing.org

ABOUT THE ROADLESS RULE

This episode is being released during the week of National Public Lands Day and while the U.S. Department of Agriculture is considering a proposal to rescind the 2001 Roadless Rule. Ben and I recorded our conversation before the proposal was announced, so we do not discuss it directly.

Official proposed rule and public record:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/20/2026-16965/special-areas-roadless-area-conservation

USDA’s explanation of the proposal:

https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2026/08/18/usda-acts-remove-roadless-rule-restrictions-exacerbate-rising-wildfire-risk

A look at arguments for and against rescission from the University of Wyoming College of Law:

https://www.uwyo.edu/law/centers/center-for-land-and-water-law/blog/long-road-rescinding-roadless-rule.html

National Public Lands Day:

https://www.neefusa.org/npld

LISTENER ASSIGNMENT

The next time you travel a familiar road, look beyond the lane—preferably as the passenger. What does that road divide? Is there water on one side and nesting ground on the other? A game trail ending at the pavement? A culvert or strange green bridge you once ignored?

Who was moving through there before we decided it was the way through?

The Wild Quiet is a podcast about nature—and our place within it.

https://thewildquietco.substack.com

Instagram and Facebook: @thewildquietco