Beyond Billy Goats: Wildlife Bridge STEM Challenge Presented by the Hitchcock Center for the Environment
Inspired by real wildlife crossings, this hands-on program with the Hitchcock Center for the Environment invites library patrons to design and build model bridges that help animals move safely across roads. Using simple materials, kids ages 5-10 can test their creations under the imagined weight of migrating mammals or a rush of salamanders. The session begins with a true story and ends with a visit from a live animal. Wildlife bridges protect migrating species and reconnect habitats disrupted by roads, blending engineering with animal studies and ecological thinking.
Self-Directed Learning
Discover real-world examples of wildlife bridges and underpasses built across the globe, from the Netherlands to New Zealand, designed to help animals safely cross roads, rivers, and other human-made barriers. Structures like Singapore’s rainforest-spanning Eco-Link and Florida’s panther underpasses reduce roadkill while reconnecting habitats and supporting migration. Paired with the Hitchcock Center’s hands-on bridge-building event, this video supports self-directed learning in ecology, civil engineering, conservation biology, and geography. It encourages reflection on how infrastructure can support, rather than fragment, the natural world. After watching, families can imagine local wildlife crossings (like the Henry Street Salamander Tunnels in Amherst, MA), research species in need of protection, or sketch bridge designs inspired by global examples.
