Today, we managed to enjoy a nice walk on Standale’s bike trail during a break in the rain. It’s amazing what you notice on foot. A new subdivision is going up beside the trail. It’s disheartening to watch the natural scenery give way to more homes, yet with the local housing shortage, it’s understandable why developers are eager to start such projects.
It makes me think about the wildlife that used to inhabit this area. Their daily existence was upended by the arrival of bulldozers. Now displaced, they must search for a new habitat.
- Maybe they could just move down the trail into another wooded area, but what if this isn’t the right habitat for them?
- What about the creatures that already live there? will they defend their territory and chase out the homeless intruders?
- Where will they get food? Some people may feel sorry for them and setup feeding stations in their backyard, this is a help to the animals initially but makes them dependent on handouts instead of finding natural food sources.
- Will some of the creatures become squatters, living under the sheds and decks of human homes?
- Will the city need to set traps and relocate them to a new area? This may help the problem near the new subdivision, but are they just passing the problem over to another area?