Paging doctor roadkill

If you’re driving in Davis, California, you might stumble upon an older man crouched on the side of the road, holding a GPS device. This man’s name is Ron Ringen, and he’s got an interesting hobby: roadkill.

Ringen, a former veterinarian, has been given the nickname Doctor Roadkill by some of his friends. He has dedicated time each week for the past seven months to travel around the city of Davis and map more than 1,400 animals (dead, of course) and log them into the California Roadkill Observation System, or CROS.

Researchers at the University of California-Davis created the system. It strives to use the power of everyday citizens to log information on roadside animal deaths in hopes of creating an extensive map of the what, when, where and how of any animal accident in the city and surrounding area.

Using this detailed data, which shows the areas with the highest concentration of animal deaths, the CROS will have the ability to create future road projects that are less detrimental to wildlife.

With the Humane Society of the United States estimating that American drivers kill more than a million wild animals each and every day, it appears to be a noble cause.

Ringen, although dedicated, does not keep California Roadkill Observation System running all by himself. The program has already garnered about 441 users who have collectively registered more than 7,414 animals (as of Sunday afternoon).

Some volunteers are aided by GPS tracking devices to pinpoint animal deaths, but others just use the system’s website. Volunteers in the future will be able to download an application that works with smartphones, like the iPhone and Android.

To most people, roadkill has and probably will continue to be an inevitable nuisance. But the creators of the California Roadkill Observation System are benefitting wildlife through the use of technology and, in the process, ridding roadkill of its stigma.

As I read about Ringen, I tried to connect his story with my life. I find myself intrigued by his complete and utter passion for something most of us don’t give a second glance. He and other volunteers are genuinely interested in something widely considered repugnant.

I’m not suggesting that we all pick up the hobby of roadkill mapping — that would be inefficient and to be honest, weird.

It would be refreshing, though, if everyone was as up-front and open about their interests as Ringen and the other CROS volunteers in Davis, California. I’ve come in contact with many people throughout the years who know what they’re passionate about and aren’t afraid to express it.

And to all of you, I’m jealous.

I want the courage to fully embrace my passions and be vocal about them without fretting about any implications on my social life. I don’t want to wonder anymore if I’m weird or if people will judge me. Because if people do, then that’s their problem, not mine.

To many, Ringen could be considered a crazy old guy with an odd obsession. To me, he’s an inspiration in self-possession.


E-mail: abeander@indiana.edu