Student, faculty research featured in CWU museum exhibit about I-90 wildlife crossings

When you’re driving along Interstate 90, it’s easy to forget the impact that a busy road has on the animals living nearby. Though I-90 connects human communities in eastern and western Washington, the road separates fragile animal habitats.

Crossing a busy road like I-90 is dangerous for animals, and when larger animals, like deer, cross the interstate, drivers are also endangered.  

This fall, a new exhibit at Central Washington University’s Museum of Culture and Environment called “Where the Forest Meets the Road” demonstrates how the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project is bringing the forest back together by creating pathways for animals to cross the road. 

The exhibit also details the work of faculty and students in the CWU Department of Biological Sciences, who have partnered with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the United States Forest Service, and non-governmental organizations in order to monitor animals who live along the I-90 East Snoqualmie Pass corridor.

“Where the Forest Meets the Road” brings home the importance of wildlife crossings for fostering a healthier habitat as well as safer roadways. 

The Museum of Culture and Environment invites the public to an opening event for the exhibit on Thursday, October 3, at 5:30 p.m. Attendees will have an opportunity to see the new exhibit and meet with museum staff in recognizing the important work of CWU biologists in making sure these wildlife crossings are successful. 

The exhibit will be on view from Wednesday, September 25, to January 11, 2025. The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you have questions or would like to learn more, please email museum@cwu.edu.

CWU is an AA/EEO/Title IX Institution. For accommodation, email DS@cwu.edu.