Will the heron babies be OK?

photo by Bruce Yolton-7/16/06



Along with a number of other Central Park birdwatchers I am a member of the Woodland Advisory Board. This group meets regularly with officials of the Central Park Conservancy and the Parks Department about problems that affect the park's wildlife, especially in the Ramble and the North Woods.

For the last few months we have been discussing a large Capital Project that will first restore the Upper Lobe part of The Lake, which has gotten almost completely silted over in recent years, and then the shoreline of the entire Lake. The project includes a historic restoration of Bank Rock Bridge. That is one of the main entries into the Ramble. It is also right near the cove where the Green Heron are currently nesting.

Yesterday I received the following letter from Bruce Yolton:

Dear Woodlands Committee member,

A few folks have asked me about the pipe in the North of the Upper Lobe and the July dredging of the Upper Lobe vs. the Green Herons.

Before people start thinking they have to chain themselves to trees, is the scheduled work going to be delayed by the Parks Department until the Herons fledge?

Thanks, Bruce
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I immediately forwarded Bruce's note to Regina Alvarez, the park's Woodlands Manager and the main liaison between the powers-that-be of the Conservancy [who officially runs the park] and the park's so-called "nature community." I included the following note:

Regina,

I've received a few anxious queries like the one below. Is there any information I can pass along to the Central Park nature community that will assure them that the Green Heron family will not be disturbed by the Upper Lobe restoration work? This is now one of the most closely watched spots in the park.

This morning I received the following reply:

Hi Marie -

Yes, please reassure everyone we will not harm the nest and the babies. The last information I sent to everybody said that we switched the order in which we are approaching the project. We've continued with pruning and invasive removals, all of which are not by the nest. The fence is scheduled to go up during the last week of July. (The path will have to be closed but we will make a modification in the fence so people can still view the nest.)

At the beginning of August, we will have contractors begin the soil work (loosening compaction, adding compost, etc.) and we will have them start on the North and East side of the cove, staying away from the nest. By the time we get to the west side, to taking the bridge down and beginning the excavation, the herons should have fledged.

Rest assured, the last thing we want to do is harm the birds.

As always Marie, thanks for fielding these concerns and passing along the information. Hope to see you soon.

Regina