During Monday night's meeting, council approved Councillor Anthony Ceccacci's motion to work with the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority and create a campaign about at-risk species in Chatham-Kent.
A report will also be coming back to council at a later date that identifies areas in the municipality where road signs could safely be placed to inform drivers of the presence of at-risk species.
A Chatham-Kent councillor is hoping to protect more at-risk species in the municipality from being hit by vehicles.
On Monday, South Kent Councillor Anthony Ceccacci will bring forward a motion requesting that the municipality work with the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority (LTVCA) to create a campaign that increases public messaging about species at risk and where they live.
Ceccacci's motion also requests that a report comes back to council identifying spots where road signs can go to alert drivers that at-risk species may be crossing.
"The [LTVCA] will work with the municipality, identify those areas, identify where they could put those signs according to the [ Ontario Traffic Manual] in regards to sign installation. Once that report comes to council, it would basically just be a rubber stamp to ensure we can put those signs up and move forward with the project," he explained.
Ceccacci has been in communication with LTVCA officials, who he said were enthusiastic about the idea. He said they also indicated that many of the at-risk animals have a greater chance of being hit by a vehicle because their habitat is on both sides of the road.
Ceccacci said he has seen first hand the negative impacts that traffic can have on local wildlife. At one point in 2020, he said he saw four turtles on the road who had been fatally hit by a vehicle.
With many of the animals having to cross local roadways and highways to survive, he's hoping to bring more awareness to the issue, especially for people who may be visiting from out of town.
"Last year, there was so much more action on our trails and beaches from people outside the area travelling to areas they might not be familiar with," he said. "I saw so many casualties on the road in the last year, especially turtles and egg-laying females."
Chatham-Kent is home to around 106 species at risk, including five at-risk snakes and seven turtles.
Born and raised in Erieau, Ceccacci said he was taught at a young age the vital part that these animals play in the ecosystem.
"As we got older, we heard more and more about how a lot of the species are at risk," he said. "If there's something we can do and from a cost standpoint it's not extreme, I think it's important to engage with our community and partners to ensure we can do our part to save the species at risk."
