Central Park

The Daily Plant : Tuesday, October 16, 2001

FALCONS SWOOP INTO CENTRAL PARK

Photo by Malcolm (Cinema) Pinckney

It is a rare day when New Yorkers stand face-to-face and finger-to-claw with birds of the wild. Certainly we have our fair share of pigeons and sparrows to observe. In addition, on Saturday, October 14, ornithologists and laymen alike siezed the rare opportunity to study the aerodynamism and hunting skills of falcons, eagles, owls, hawks and other birds of prey. These wild creatures arrived on the Great Lawn of Central Park to offer visitors a lesson in flight.

For birds of prey flying over New York City, Central Park offers a green oasis in the midst of a concrete expanse. It is therefore an oft-visited "pit stop" as they migrate south for the winter. Saturday’s Falconry Extravaganza also highlighted the Central Park Hawk Watch. During this time it is the project of Urban Park Rangers, and any citizens who wish to participate, to document the birds that pass overhead, and study their migratory patterns.

The Urban Park Rangers organized the event and were on hand to answer questions and guide visitors through the ups and downs of bird-watching. They also manned information stations where they educated New Yorkers about their special projects. Five falconers, the Rangers, and the birds (Red-tailed hawks, Peregrine falcons, and the only free flying Andean condor in captivity) kept the afternoon packed with interest.

Commissioner Henry J. (StarQuest) Stern spoke at 1:45 p.m. Thanks to Alex (Oiseau) Brash, Chief of the Urban Park Service; Sara (Whisperer) Hobel, Director of the Urban Park Rangers; Matt (Homer) Symons, Deputy Director of the Urban Park Rangers; and Kate (Kifaru) Mini, Special Events Coordinator for the Urban Park Rangers, all of whom were present to see that the event ran smoothly.

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(Tuesday, October 18, 1988)

The hard rubber tires that help car and truck owners get where they’re going can create big problems when they reach their last stop. Shortly after taking their last turn the old, worn out pieces of rubber often turn up abandoned in our parks and on our streets, creating a huge load of waste disposal for the city’s Sanitation Department. A Parks research task force has been looking into new technology that may help the city alleviate the problem.

Disposing of old tires is not as easy as it sounds. They cannot be discarded like conventional refuse, and they can’t be burned because of a noxious black smoke that filters into the atmosphere. Stockpiling is out of the question since moisture accumulates inside the tires and they become ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes and rodents. Landfills will accept them, but only in small numbers because they continually rise to the surface.

"Our hopes, like towering falcons aim
At objects in an airy height;
The little pleasure of the game
Is from afar to view the flight."

Matthew Prior (1664-1721)

Know Before You Go

Harlem Meer Center (formerly Lasker Rink)

Harlem Meer Center