As more ground is churned up to make way for housing and shops in Willoughby, more members of the animal kingdom are being bulldozed out of their homes.

Willoughby resident Dr. Patricia Tallman wants to change that, telling Township council on Oct. 3 that squirrels, mice, birds, rabbits, opossums and other animals are being killed as they cross roads to find new habitat.

She wants council to initiate a public awareness policy, including signs, designate additional wildlife habitat corridors and other areas, and create a protocol for construction excavation and foundation work.

Councillor Kim Richter鈥檚 motion that staff examine Tallman鈥檚 report into the matter will be on the agenda for council鈥檚 Oct. 17 meeting.

Tallman鈥檚 research was compiled into a report which notes that there appears to be no policy requiring a development blend into the natural ecological features that it is replacing.

She notes, too, that  the B.C. Wildlife Act prohibits tree cutting during nesting season if there are nestlings or fledglings.

鈥淏ut is this always adhered to?鈥� she asks.

Tallman said that during the site excavation for Lynn Fripps Elementary, fledglings birds resembling quails were seen with their frantic mother bird while their nest was being destroyed. Ultimately, the hen built another nest in the shrubbery area south of the Lynn Fripps Elementary school site.

Among Tallman鈥檚 recommendations are that all development site employees, contractors and tradesmen be urged to slow down when they drive during morning hours when certain terrestrial wildlife are most active. She wants a roadkill monitoring program established to track road kill fatalities and wildlife crossings.

She would like to see more habitat space, including tunnels, created in Willoughby, including a wildlife corridor along 84 Avenue transitioning to 83 Avenue at 208 Street.

In addition, a habitat patch could be retained along 80 Avenue between 204 and 208 Streets, where Tallman recorded three roadkills.

She would like to see wildlife tunnels at 206 and 204 Streets for wildlife crossing 80 Avenue, the tunnels camouflaged with brambles, small bushes, or tall grasses to deter potential predators.

If wildlife tunnels are not feasible or practical on 80 Avenue, then a series of low-level speed bumps should be installed between 202 and 206 Streets to ensure that a speed greater than 50 km/hr cannot be attained, she suggested.

Her research found that it is mostly terrestrial wildlife that is being displaced by development.

Tallman has contacted Athenry Developments, which is about to build a mix of housing and retail at 208 Avenue and  83 Avenue, but their response, she says, has been lukewarm.