Amsterdam Day 276: Squirrel Bridge

I have two things to say about Squirrels in the Netherlands. First, the Dutch word for squirrel is really cool. It is eekhoorn. Sound it out. Sound it out a little faster this time. It sounds an awfully lot like the English word acorn. Which is hilarious because that is what squirrels always collect. Well I thought it was funny. 

The other thing I found out I discovered while in church. I have no idea what the point of the lesson was (something about working hard without actually accomplishing anything), but I remember this story. Apparently, The Haugue spent a lot of money in a squirrel bridge to help protect squirrels from getting run over on the highway. And up till now, there have been 5 squirrels saved in two years. This also struck me as hilarious. 

Maybe I am looking at this the wrong way and maybe there is a lesson to be learned. This reminds me of another story. 

One day an old man was walking along the beach. It was low tide, and the sand was littered with thousands of stranded starfish that the water had carried in and then left behind. 

The man began walking very carefully so as not to step on any of the beautiful creatures. Since the animals still seemed to be alive, he considered picking some of them up and putting them back in the water, where they could resume their lives. 

The man knew the starfish would die if left on the beach's dry sand but he reasoned that he could not possibly help them all, so he chose to do nothing and continued walking. 

Soon afterward, the man came upon a small child on the beach who was frantically throwing one starfish after another back into the sea. The old man stopped and asked the child, "What are you doing?"

"I'm saving the starfish," the child replied

"Why waste your time?... There are so many you can't save them all so what does is matter?" argued the man

Without hesitation, the child picked up another starfish and tossed the starfish back into the water... "It matters to this one," the child explained

So next time I have a need to tell this story about the starfish, I will use the example of the Dutch building a squirrel bridge instead. 

Here's the article about it if you want to know more. 

Netherlands bridge built especially for squirrels costing £120,000 has been used five times

‘In 2014 three squirrels, and in 2015 two squirrels, were spotted on the bridge'

A bridge built especially for squirrels to be able to cross a busy motorway in the Netherlands – which cost €150,000 (£120,000) to construct – has been used five times since its erection, according to officials.

The bridge was built in 2012 to give squirrels safe passage between the Haagse Bos forest and Oosterbeen, and Clingedel park, and spans the N44 motorway by the Benoordenhoutseweg.

According to The Hague online, the country’s Animal Protection Agency said the bridge would stop squirrels from being run over on the motorway, which had been a problem, and would help their declining population grow by expanding the rodents’ habitat. 

But the bridge has only been used by five red squirrels since it was built, The Times reports.

The number was discovered after a local councillor enquired about the efficiency of the bridge.

The Mayor’s office responded with the statement: “In 2014 three squirrels, and in 2015 two squirrels, were spotted on the bridge.

“This is evidenced by monitoring using CCTV cameras on the bridge.” 

The Mayor added that the bridge had been funded by government using environmental compensation money relating to the relocation of the US embassy to Clingendael when asked whether the €150,000 had been wasted on the roden

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/netherlands-bridge-built-especially-for-squirrels-costing-120000-has-been-used-five-times-a6892856.html