It is rare in these days of "goose roundups" occurring in many parts of the country (including, New York City) to encounter and have positive news to report.
But, today is actually one of those days -- in more ways than one.
First there is this article out of Tennessee in which two brave people and property owners successfully thwarted the country club and USDA plan to round up and "relocate" geese to some remote area where the flightless geese would be easy prey for predators.:
http://www.stategazette.com/story/1867732.html (Couple stands up to USDA)
As the couple says, most of the geese would be flying in a couple of weeks and would leave the area anyway.
That families of molting geese would have been split up and transported to some likely hunting area in 90+ degree heat for the sake of some golf balls is both, lunacy and cruelty.
The "North's" deserve praise and credit for their knowledge on geese, their compassion, but most of all, their courage for standing up for what is right.
We have to hope that such gutsy efforts like these begin to snowball over the coming years and serve as inspiration to others.
Perhaps the tides are finally beginning to turn?
On the more local front, it was after 11 PM last night when I finally left with my dogs to go to Central Park.
I waited until that late hour in hopes that the intense heat of the daytime might wear off a bit and that there might be some night breezes.
Such hopes were in vain.
Barely a blade of grass stirred in the sultry and stifling heat.
So hot and humid was it that I actually stood with my two dogs for a couple of minutes under some park sprinklers spraying water on the grass at the North Meadow.
The cold water felt good for all of two minutes, but once walking away from it, the oppressive heat returned. It literally was like walking around in a sauna.
Since the hour was so late, I did not go to the Boat Lake because the geese are usually sleeping by that time and the woodsy Rambles are very dark and a bit spooky at night.
I instead went to Harlem Meer to drop in on Brad, Wiggy, Honker and the other ducks -- all of whom seemed fine in the blaring heat.
I sat on a rock for a while just to give myself and my two dogs a chance to cool down, as well as to enjoy the sense of peace, connection and quiet.
One is hardly aware of time passing or really anything else when just sitting with geese and ducks. It is as though time itself is suspended and one is in an entirely different and kind of spiritual world.
But, that world was soon punctuated last night by a young couple who walked by and stopped to observe the ducks.
After a couple of minutes, the young man asked me, "It seems like the ducks know you. Do they?"
"Oh, yes," I laughed. "They know me well. Have been coming here for a few years. I particularly come to keep an eye on the domestic ducks (pointing to Brad and Wiggly). Those two cannot fly."
The 20-something-year-old man seemed very educated and quite knowledgeable on wildlife, ecology and even the history of New York City. His girlfriend, though not as educated was equally enthusiastic and supportive of the ducks and other animals around Harlem Meer.
We ended up having a long and very pleasant conversation.
I was surprised to learn that both young people were very familiar with geese and dismayed not only with the roundups and slaughters of the geese, but also with harassment measures apparently in practice at Harlem Meer.
"Yes, I think those are goose recordings," the young, Latino man said referring to the odd sounds being heard in various parts of the Meer. "I don't understand what people or the park has against geese. We seem to be pushing the animals out all over. Its their world too. We need to live peacefully with nature."
His girlfriend then added, "Yes, people are so afraid! When we first arrived here tonight, we saw a raccoon and some girl was all freaked out. We told her that as long as you don't bother the animals, they don't bother you."
We talked for more than a half hour about ducks, geese, other wildlife and even the fact that during the ice age, New York City was buried under walls of ice.
"The geese and ducks have survived and been around thousands of years," the young man said. "Birds evolved from dinosaurs. Who are we to push them out and destroy? We need to respect their resiliency and right to be here.
Good questions and points, coming from people so young.
As the hour was then very late and the park closes at 1 AM, we had to end the conversation and move on.
In parting, I told the couple, "If you walk a little further down, you should see a mama duck and six tiny ducklings hatched a little more than a week ago. They should be right along the embankment. Have a wonderful evening!"
And though it was still a stifling hot evening (even though well past midnight), it was truly refreshing to run into young people who had not only knowledge and compassion about animals, but real connection to the world around them.
Refreshing and inspirational.
It is encounters like these (becoming more frequent in recent months) that truly give one pause and hope for the future. Young people are, after all, the future.
Nevertheless, on the way home, I still took refuge with my dogs under the Central Park sprinklers for that refreshing little douse of cold water.
Thank goodness they were still on and thank goodness for a little human invention. ;) -- PCA
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