Murray Pond DuckGeese Crossing
Donation protected
The goal of this project is to install a Duck Crossing warning sign on both sides of SW Murray Blvd. in Beaverton, OR near Murray Pond. Every spring Murray Pond serves as nesting grounds to several families of Geese and Ducks. Unfortunately, Murray Pond does not offer enough night shelter so these families walk across the 4 lane Blvd. on a daily basis to get to/from the more secluded ponds across the street. It is during this crossing that many are crushed to death in the cross-traffic. This spring we started with a total population of close to 50 geese and goslings. By the end of the season we lost at least one third of these birds before it was time to migrate.
I became aware of this deadly crossing because I am currently producing a documentary film about Murray Pond and the health hazards we humans impose on urban ecosystems such as this. Due to the high number of fatalities experienced in just crossing the road, I decided to include trying to install the Duck Crossing Signs as part of my documentary film. Full disclosure; there are Duck Crossing signs on near-by side streets, but there is far less traffic on these subordinate roads. It’s on SW Murray Blvd. where the vast majority of the tragedies happen and there are no warning signs to warn approaching drivers here.
Since SW Murray Blvd. is a county road, I initially contacted the county traffic engineering department about the need for the signs. They told me that it is a standing country policy to not support warning signs for small animals, only for larger ones like deer. They suggested I contact another official agency to seek sponsorship. I then contacted the city traffic engineering department and was able to convince them over objections if I could secure funding. I understand there is some tax dollar funding available through the neighborhood associations, but I strongly believe our hard earned tax dollars should go to community projects that offer direct benefits to the citizen tax payers. This project only benefits the wildlife and they don’t pay taxes. In that crowd-funding is on a purely voluntary basis, I feel it much more appropriate to this project.
Please consider supporting my project to help prevent so many beautiful birds being crushed on SW Murray Blvd.
Thank you!
I became aware of this deadly crossing because I am currently producing a documentary film about Murray Pond and the health hazards we humans impose on urban ecosystems such as this. Due to the high number of fatalities experienced in just crossing the road, I decided to include trying to install the Duck Crossing Signs as part of my documentary film. Full disclosure; there are Duck Crossing signs on near-by side streets, but there is far less traffic on these subordinate roads. It’s on SW Murray Blvd. where the vast majority of the tragedies happen and there are no warning signs to warn approaching drivers here.
Since SW Murray Blvd. is a county road, I initially contacted the county traffic engineering department about the need for the signs. They told me that it is a standing country policy to not support warning signs for small animals, only for larger ones like deer. They suggested I contact another official agency to seek sponsorship. I then contacted the city traffic engineering department and was able to convince them over objections if I could secure funding. I understand there is some tax dollar funding available through the neighborhood associations, but I strongly believe our hard earned tax dollars should go to community projects that offer direct benefits to the citizen tax payers. This project only benefits the wildlife and they don’t pay taxes. In that crowd-funding is on a purely voluntary basis, I feel it much more appropriate to this project.
Please consider supporting my project to help prevent so many beautiful birds being crushed on SW Murray Blvd.
Thank you!
Organizer
Murray Pond
Organizer
Beaverton, OR
