Hannah Chin

The part that maybe Shabdam doesn't garden in.

And Mara says this gentler approach, it has benefits for people too.

Mara told me, to some extent, yes, the shift in wildlife that we're seeing goes beyond the greater Atlanta area.

It's happening in all these places that are urbanizing.

Because what we gain in real estate, animals lose in habitat.

Like in South Florida, where developers continue to push the Everglades boundary.

or subdivisions and ranches in the greater Yellowstone area?

Yeah, and Mara said this is just one of a few ways that human development can affect local amphibians.

Another way is fragmentation.

Mara also mentioned human use of chemicals like pesticides that are really bad for amphibians and reptiles.

And then there's the issue of the predators that humans bring with us.

like outdoor cats.

Mara likes to cite a 2020 study about this.

Oh, dear.

That number doesn't count snakes, salamanders, lizards, other animals that are also killed by cats.

They are.

But the good thing is, Emily, these things can work in reverse as well, right?

So just as human development can hurt reptiles and amphibians, it's also pretty easy for humans to help them.

Like planting native plants and removing invasives or avoiding pesticide use.

Keeping our cats inside and then supporting temporary wetlands like ponds and marshes wherever they crop up near us.