Wild life by the motorway
Page 38
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AMONG the effects of a wealthy man of my acquaintance who died at the age of 90 was a tin box labelled "pieces of string too short for usel I am reminded of this by the oddly shaped pockets of lahd that remain when motorways are built and that cannot be put to economic use.
Unlike the string, they are not entirely wasted. They become miniature sanctuaries for animals in which voles and mice flourish and are the happy hunting grounds of kestrels. Nest boxes have been erected alongside some motorways in the hope that the birds may be tempted to breed there.
Care for all wild life, as well as for drivers, extends also to the creation of badger crossings under motorways and the provision of mirrors that reflect headlights and deter deer from crossing busy roads at night. If a deer has ever landed on the bonnet of your car you will welcome this ingenious system.