Watch out for hedgehogs! – Citizen science against roadkill in Lower Austria

Road networks account for 47% of the sealed surface area in Lower Austria and thus represent a central component of the cultural landscape. On the one hand, roads are an indispensable foundation for our social life; on the other hand, they have significant impacts on biodiversity. Lower Austria leads the official statistics on wildlife-vehicle collisions in Austria. Nevertheless, comprehensive data are still lacking on animals that are road-killed but are not classified as game species. In the Citizen Science project “Roadkill” at BOKU University, more than 1,000 citizen scientists have been collecting data on road-killed vertebrates in Austria since 2013. Up to now, only presence data have been recorded. As part of the present project, this methodology is to be expanded by collecting presence–absence data through citizen scientists. The central question is: where are animals not being road-killed? The model organism used is the hedgehog genus (Erinaceus sp.). Public outreach campaigns will be conducted via the established social media channels of the project partners, as well as a drawing competition, evening lectures in rural communities, and, not least, events at the Museum of Lower Austria to raise public awareness. The insights gained will not only deepen the scientific understanding of the factors influencing hedgehog roadkills, but also provide an evidence-based foundation for planning and implementing targeted conservation measures. In the long term, the developed methodology is intended to be transferred to other animal species.