I am forever concerned about wildlife in our changing world. Especially this time of the year, as in spring, when our modern tradition goes against the natural transition of the sun and moon that would ease us into winter or summer day by day. Instead, boom! We and our confused hormones are blasted an hour forward or backward an hour.

I’m fairly sure our human health and human tragedies around Daylight Saving Time will never get sorted out, but what about wildlife?

Wildlife doesn’t know that we have changed our clocks and changed the times that we are in our cars speeding down the road, or that our jobs will start an hour earlier or later.

On Thursday, I found a dead chipmunk, a dead squirrel and a magnificent raccoon dead — all hit by cars or trucks.

The only tricks I know to avoid hitting wildlife are to be aware, watch the sides of the roads for movement or the glare of eyeballs, and when possible have bright beams on so they can see us coming.

I will add having a noisy car helps, and there are devices to buy to put on your car that make a noise that animals can hear. Some cars are just too quiet, and not all animals can hear well.

Safe travel for all.

Suzanna Nickerson
Edgartown and Chatham