Go Fish

May 21, 2011

Liz Conner interviews the founders of the Go Fish program along the esplanade discuss how the program raises awareness of the importance to keep the Hudson River clean, and how the river has rebounded since it was proclaimed “Dead” by the New York Times in the 1960′s due to pollution.

(Viewable in full-screen 1080iHD)

Did the Parks Conservancy intentionally raise the pond level that killed the ducklings?

November 18, 2011

By Steven Greer, MD

Tess Huxley, head of the BPCA Parks Conservancy

Viewers will recall our previous stories from the spring following the fate of this years’ mallard duck hatchlings. A “mystery man” “Wildlife expert” had been taking the newly hatched ducks into his BPC apartment, nursing them, then transferring them into the Waterfall Pond, mistakenly thinking that the manmade ecosystem could accommodate the birds without starvation or drowning. (In fact, BatteryPark.TV intervention was required to allow the hatchlings of 2010 to survive to adult without starvation)

One of the 5 remaining ducklings that did not drown but that later disappeared

However, this year, most of the birds drowned rapidly, within a week of being transferred from the park into the pond. BatteryPark.TV was not present when the ducklings were first moved into the pond. Despite an extensive investigation with the park staff and local apartment buildings, the “mystery man” wildlife lover was unable to be located.

That man has now come forth to tell his story. The well-intentioned local resident who has been caring for a variety of struggling animals is a federal employee. We are keeping his name confidential and will call him Jerry.

Jerry’s daughter recently stumbled upon our BatteryPark.TV reporting by searching the Internet and told her father, who then contacted us. He added some crucial details to the unsolved mystery of how the ducklings were killed this year.

In our June 7 story, we reported that the hatchlings were irresponsibly placed into the Waterfall Pond when the water levels were too high and no circular islands existed to prevent drowning. According to Jerry, this was not the case.

Jerry said, “They (The Parks Conservancy headed by Tess Huxley) deliberately raised the water level of the pond on purpose to flood the birds out….When I put the ducklings in the pond, the water level was low and there were islands with tall grass, just as there had been the previous year in 2010…The Captain of the PEP officers gave me the OK to put the ducks in the pond and helped me…I have a record”

BatteryPark.TV did not begin to witness the events until after 10 of the 15 ducklings had drowned. We then reported on the one-by-one disappearance of the remaining five ducklings. A Parks Conservancy staff member at the time claimed that he saw a bird of prey and we attributed their demise to being eating by a blue heron. In light of these new testimonials by the man who actually placed the ducklings into the pond, we are not so confident that malicious human behavior was not involved.

Tess Huxley is on record for stating, essentially, that the mandate of her agency is to manage the vegetation only, and that wildlife are on their own in a survival of the fittest. She has said, Mother Nature will take its course”. The problem arises when animals are placed by humans into manmade ecosystems that require human interference to avoid animal cruelty, such as the Waterfall Pond.

The Waterfall Pond looks natural, but in reality, it is just a concrete swimming pool with decorative plants and steep sides that prohibit the ducklings from escaping until they can fly. The plant vegetation is not adequate to prevent starvation, and the round islands are inadequate to prevent drowning when the park staff raise the water levels.

To not provide human aid after the fact when the birds are placed into the pond is neglect. To intentionally flood out the birds would be a criminal act of animal cruelty.

Moreover, the Koi fish placed in the pond by the Tess Huxley’s staff require human intervention. Although the fish are resilient and can hibernate in the winter in most cases, in extreme cold as we saw this winter, the ice becomes too thick, oxygen to the water is cut off, and the fish will die. Tess Huxley’s hands-off policy of not intervening with the wildlife caused the Koi fish to die this year when the ice froze thicker than usual. Jerry told us, “I tried to crack the ice this year (realizing the fish were in jeopardy), but they (the parks staff) would not let me.” See our previous story “Who killed the Koi?”

(The BPCA did not reply to our requests)

The human intervention platform required in 2010 to avoid drowning

Jerry releasing the ducklings onto an island

Ducklings before the water levels rose and they drowned

The mother duck

Our resident wild turkey flies in from Staten Island

November 4, 2011

By Steven Greer, MD

The New York Times is reporting that wild turkeys are numerous in Staten Island, to the point of being pests. That is likely from where our often seen Battery Park wild turkey flies in. Actually, our singular “Zelda” might be multiple turkeys.

PEP promptly deal with OccupyWallStreet graffiti

October 18, 2011

A man in his 20′s from the OccupyWallStreet Zuccotti Park migrated over to the sidewalk by the West Thames Park grass field today. He wrote in chalk large protest messages. He was overheard saying that he was leaving to go back to Zuccotti Park for a camera to capture his art work. Moments later, three more members of OccupyWallStreet arrived and gathered in front of Rector Park.

The Park Enforcement Patrol (PEP) office was called and a patrol woman, who did not want her name used, promptly arrived. The three protestors explained that they were not the ones to write the message.

The PEP officer told BatteryPark.TV, as we witnessed the events, “I am going to stay here and wait for this guy to come back. This should not be taking place in Battery Park. Thank you so much (for calling this in).”

The man who wrote the sidewalk messages did return and the PEP officer told him, “Do not do it again”. The protestors were apologetic and there was surprisingly no conflict.

Related to this incident, the PEP are actively patrolling for possible satellite camps from Zuccotti Park that might sprout up in BPC. The PEP in carts have been keeping the community gardens, for example, free of protestor camps. BatteryPark.TV previously reported on groups of protestors who had found the community garden space conducive for a rest.

(Click images to enlarge)

A squirrel and his….

David Letterman’s writers would have fun with this photo of a chubby squirrel eating a peanut on the lawn of Wagner Park. Email us if you have photos of your own that you would like to post.

The Urban Farm

June 21, 2011

Warrie Price, President and Founder of the Battery Conservancy, gives Liz Conner a tour of the new Urban Farm growing vegetables

(Viewable in full screen 1080iHD)

Mystery solved: What happened to the ducklings of 2011?

August 3, 2011

BatteryPark.TV previously reported that two different nests of mallard ducklings met their demise this year: one was due to human error, the other was a mystery. We have learned that the five ducklings which briefly lived in the waterfall pond were periodically snatched by a resident great blue heron bird of prey, one after another, day by day.

These photos from a UK blog show a heron in action eating a duckling.

Shark!

There are sharks in Battery Park City, literally not metaphorically. An angler on the esplanade caught this small sand shark on Sunday, November 22. The fisherman spoke only Chinese and we were unable to get his name or any information.

Email us if you have photos of your own that you would like for us to post.

The fisherman

Detecting nuclear fallout from Japan and elsewhere

July 18, 2011

Clifford Mitchell, MD of the State of Maryland health department discusses how they measure nuclear fallout, as well as how the federal government has an independent system run by the EPA.

- Which isotopes are the most dangerous?

- How are they detected?

- Are levels significant in US samples?

Who killed the ducklings of Teardrop Park?

June 7, 2011

By Steven Greer, MD

BatteryPark.TV has learned that a mallard duck nest in Teardrop Park, that hatched into at least 10 ducklings, all drowned in the waterfall pond approximately two weeks ago. According to park sources, a local resident claiming to be “licensed to handle wildlife”, gathered either the unhatched eggs, or the newly hatched chicks, from their Northeast location in the park, and then took them into his nearby apartment. We inquired with doorman at most of the apartment buildings near Teardrop Park, and no one seems to have heard of this “mystery man”, who some say goes by the name James, if he exists at all.

The waterfall pond by the Irish Hunger memorial was not prepared to accommodate the birds, having no islands above water level, when this “wildlife expert” transferred the ducklings into the pond. They all perished of exposure within 12 hours, according to multiple park employees.

Many conservancy employees, including Tess Huxley, Executive Director Battery Park City Parks Conservancy, were well aware that multiple mallard females had nested this year again in Teardrop Park and the Irish Hunger Memorial. BatteryPark.TV had published a video and story about the mating behavior on May 5th. However, no preparations for the highly popular ducklings to be raised in the pond were set forth as were made in 2010.

In fact, a park employee told us that they believed the waterfall pond water level was intentionally raised so as to create no islands conducive for the soon-to-be-hatched ducklings. It has been the policy of Tess Huxley to refuse to assist any wildlife in the parks, citing parks regulations. Recall, the beautiful and valuable large Koi fish in the pond, at least 16 years old, were all allowed to perish in the record-breaking harsh winter as the parks executives refused to crack the ice to allow in oxygen. The fish now in the pond were quick replacements meant to correct for this tragedy.

No one at the Parks Conservancy or the BPCA replied to our more than ten calls and emails requesting these parks regulations to be specifically listed. If they do, we will update this story.

More recently, approximately one week ago, the nest in the grass of the Irish Hunger Memorial hatched. According to a park employee, one duckling, trying to reach the pond within site, jumped the 30-feet drop onto the pavement and died. The park employee responsible for the pond maintenance, James, noticed that the other five ducklings were in peril and quickly took action. He called his superiors and told them that he had to immediately lower the water to make the circular islands reappear, and he transferred the ducklings to safety.

What happened next is a mystery to everyone interviewed. The five or more ducklings began to vanish each day. James found no dead bodies as were found when the Teardrop Park nest perished. The best working hypothesis is that someone has stolen the ducklings, although that seems to be a pure guess. Two ducklings remain, for the time being.

It is not clear whether the parks staff are feeding the birds this year, as they did last year. To the casual observer, the pond appears to be a natural self-sustaining microenvironment able to provide food for the ducklings that are unable to escape the pond until they fly. However, that is not the case. The pond is essentially just a swimming pool made of concrete with plants inserted. The ducklings cannot escape, and once placed inside the pond, are at the complete mercy of humans for survival.

In 2009, a large group of ducklings, also transferred into the pond by the urban mythical “wildlife expert” according to multiple park employees, all starved except for two. In 2010, approximately five out 15 had starved until BatteryPark.TV first became aware of the problem and encouraged the parks to step in. A volunteer fed the birds for the season until they were able to fly. All 10 made it to maturity.

If anyone knows the identity of the mystery “wildlife expert”, possibly named Jerry, or has any knowledge of anyone harboring the most recent ducklings as pets, please email us at once.

(Waterfall pond with Irish Memorial and Freedom Tower behind)

The Maury Povich show for ducks

June 5, 2011

The waterfall duck pond is quite confusing this year. Last year, two different nests of ducklings were combined into the pond and one mother became the parent, to the best of our knowledge. This year, a mystery man once again transferred the new hatchlings from Teardrop Park into the pond, but the Parks Conservancy folks had not prepared any dry land areas, and we believe that they drowned (we are awaiting a reply from the BPCA). The adult female mallard also disappeared. That was approximately two weeks ago.

A few days ago, suddenly two mystery ducklings reappeared and the pond water level was lowered and islands were made for the ducklings, as was done last year. We are investigating which nest these ducklings came from, whether the female laid a new bunch of eggs, or whether they were imported from a distant location.

In addition to the adult female, there are more than five colored-plumage adult males vying for the attention of the female. Much like the Maury Povich show, the true father is unknown. Although, the female does seem to have one male chosen.

The Parks Conservancy delays the new sod for the mud field

Update: May 17, 2011

It appears as if the Parks folks have struck an agreement with the DOT over the handling of the mud field. A press release today from the DOT read, “The lawn will be closed for re-sodding the turf area.  The closure is necessary in order to install new sod and allow it to properly “knit.”  After removing the old sod and installing the new sod, this growing period will last for approximately eight weeks. The lawn is expected to re-open approximately on Friday, July 22, 2011. No public access is allowed in order to protect the newly establishing lawn and to make sure the lawn stays healthy.  It is necessary to do this work now since spring planting is an optimal time to lay new sod. If you have further questions or require any additional information, please contact the Community Outreach Liaison, Julie Nadel, by telephone at 1-800-714-0454 or by e-mail at route9a@dot.state.ny.us.”

May 6, 2011

BatterPark.TV was the first to report on the bureaucratic feud between the DOT and BPCA Parks Conservancy that led to the neglect and destruction of the newly sodded field north of West Thames Park that cost several million to the tax payer (an estimated $100,000 for the grass sod alone). The DOT seems to have resolved the issues relating to the construction of the field, analogous to a “punch out list” a new homeowner goes through with a construction company (i.e. sprinklers, drainage in this case), yet the Parks Conservancy continues to dither. Meanwhile, the window of time for re-sodding is expiring fast (The end of May).

BatteryPark.TV has been trying to get answers from the BPCA for two weeks, but the BPCA has gone through extensive efforts to avoid our questions, including even instructing the Brookfield Properties security desk to not allow us up to the World Financial Center BPCA offices (a story in and of itself). However, the DOT has responded to our questions.

According to Adam Levine of the DOT, the sprinkler and drainage issues of the new field have been resolved. The DOT is ready to re-sod the field as soon as the BPCA Parks Conservancy, managed by Tess Huxley, meets with them and agrees to assume control of the field, as they currently do so well for all of the other grassy areas in BPC.

It is unclear why the Parks Conservancy is dragging their feet and failing to meet with the DOT. According to a local newsletter, at a recent Community Board meeting, Battery Park City CB Chair, Linda Belfer, said, “Originally when they agreed to do the park, there were agreements in place as to the maintenance and now they’re being ignored and they’re renegotiating who will maintain the parks, the HRPT or the Conservancy. The two agencies together have not come to an agreement.” She added that Joe Brown, project manager for the DOT, “said last night that they’re ready to put in the sod. Meanwhile we’re losing more and more time, and use of the area.”

In the bigger picture, The Parks Conservancy has been the agency in charge of numerous scandals recently. The Park Enforcement Patrol (PEP) are managed by The Parks Conservancy and Tess Huxley. The issue of the PEPs harassing dog owners walking their dogs, asking for ID for no reason, and the violent attack of a local resident who protested being asked for his ID, came to a boiling point after BatteryPark.TV reported the stories.

Also, this Spring, it became apparent that the large expensive Koi carp in the waterfall pond, also managed by the Parks Conservancy, were killed when the pond was neglected over the harsh winter. A simple hole in the ice to allow for oxygen would have saved the fish and allowed them to live through the record-breaking cold winter as they had done for 16 previous years.

There are numerous other complaints relating to mismanagement by the Parks Conservancy. BatteryPark.TV recently reported on a notorious  PEP Captain negotiating with NYPD tow trucks to avoid an expensive towing of a PEP’s personal car.

Although the BPCA seems to have addressed many of the PEP issues, and progress has been noted, the top management at the Parks Conservancy seem to be circling their wagons, dodging the press by almost literally hiding under their desks, avoiding Community Board meetings, and exhibiting no signs of reform.

If the topics were not so important to Battery Park residents, the Parks Conservancy drama would make for a good episode on NBC’s “Community” that spoofs local parks officials. However, this is not a joke.

Bad -apple bureaucrats are usually resistant to change and have to be replaced.

Pato loco

May 5, 2011

On this Cinco de Mayo, we observed some crazy ducks, or pato loco, in the BPC home for mallards by the waterfall pond. With the cold spring, the mallards are getting a several week delayed start, compared to last year, on the mating process. Enjoy this short video of multiple pairs of mallards fighting it out for the coveted pond territory.

Canines of BPC

May 7, 2011

Shoot us an email if you would like to have your dog or pet featured

Who killed the Koi?

April 21, 2011

One of the best assets in Battery Park City for children and visitors has been the unique and highly prized collection of large Koi fish in the waterfall pond by the Irish Hunger Memorial. The fish have been living in the waterfall pond for many years. Some grew to be 24 inches long. Koi can cost thousands of dollars if they were to be purchased fully grown.

Most residents are surprised to learn that the fish stay in the pond throughout the winter and somehow live through the cold and ice. Not this year. All of the large Koi have died. The country suffered through one of the worst winters on record and the thick ice over the pond likely depleted the water of oxygen as it froze thicker than usual.

It is common knowledge to most people that fish in ponds need to have the ice broken in order to oxygenate the water. How did the Battery Parks Conservancy experts miss this and fail to take proper action to ensure the viability of these expensive cherished fish?

BatteryPark.TV called the Parks Conservancy office dozens of times over two days and were told that the official we were trying to reach was either “Not in his office” or “Not in the building”. Upon going in person to the offices located on Battery Place, the official in question was in fact sitting at his desk. He declined to comment on the matter. Tess Huxley, the senior most official of the Battery Parks Conservancy, has previously not replied to any of our emails or calls. Officials from the Battery Park City Authority also declined to comment in time for this article.

In the past, the Ms. Huxley has taken a hands-off, let-nature-take-its-course, approach to the wildlife in the parks. The ten ducklings that grew last year in the same pond, matured into adults, and flew away did so only after BatteryPark.TV gained the volunteer cooperation of others to supply square boards to avoid drowning and feed for the birds until they could fly out of the contained pond. The year prior in 2009, all but two ducklings starved to death without this type of assistance.

Sources told BatteryPark.TV that the Koi in the pond that died this winter had been there for 16 years. The Parks staff have never proactively cared for the fish in the winter. This winter was different, and they all died.

(Click on image for full panorama view)

Stranded ducklings in Battery Park City

June 1, 2010

Approximately three weeks ago, two nests of duck eggs hatched in Battery Park City. According to a park ranger, one nest was in the grass of the Irish Hunger Memorial and the other one was in Tear Drop Park. Vince McGowan of the Battery Park Conservancy said that a local resident relocated the newly hatched ducklings to the waterfall pond. A park ranger confronted the person who then informed the ranger that he had a “license to handle wildlife”.

The Parks Conservancy is not feeding or caring for the ducklings. They are viewed as wildlife that can fend for itself.

The problem with the ducklings being in the pond is that humans placed them there unnaturally. The animals have no way of getting out of the pond at this age and are therefore unable to fend for themselves. Of the original 19, 10 ducklings remain.

Ducklings feed on insects and invertebrates. The small ecosystem of the pond, with fish competing for the food, is unlikely to support the ducklings as they grow into larger animals.

The video may be viewed here

July 15 update

Comparing radiation leaks from major nuclear events

March 15, 2011

Now that the multiple nuclear reactors in Japan are in meltdown, possibly on the scale of Chernobyl in 1986, the key safety questions are “How will this radiation accident compare to other previously documented events, such as Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, and will the radiation cause cancer?”

Using reports from our US NCR and the United Nations BEIR VII report, we tabulated rough estimates of radiation exposure and compared them to the gold standard of data, the WW2 Atom-bomb survivor studies (BEIR). The long-term cohort studies of the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the best medical data available to correlate cancer risks to exposure.

It is premature to estimate the radiation amounts being leaked from Japan, but given that there are at least four reactors melting down, it is safe to assume that the Japan disaster will be on par, if not worse, than Chernobyl. Chernobyl contaminated areas of Europe thousands of miles away. Some areas were extremely high doses that were in cancer-causing range, but the average doses were not.

At this time, it is likely that radiation will reach Alaska and the continental U.S., but that the levels will be very low.

Click to enlarge graphic)

Get eye level with the ducks of BPC

Update: October 9, 2010

The males are now developing the classic green, gray, and brown plumage and mates are being chosen. They should migrate south later in November.

September 24, 2010

The population of mallards in the waterfall pond has doubled to nearly 20 ducks as more and more migrators find the spot an attractive respite. As mentioned in previous reports, all ten of the stranded ducklings made it to adulthood and all can fly now.

Harvest Moon

September 25, 2010

There was a rare Harvest Moon a few days ago, so it is fitting to show this montage of images from the 2010 season in the BPC Community Gardens. See if you spot any gardens you know.

This is also a small tribute, in ways, to 9/11 victims.

And this classic digital short from 2009

Mission Accomplished

September 25, 2010

One of the male mallards has changed into full mating plumage much sooner than the others, and seems to have chosen a mate already.

August 31, 2010

Coincidentally, on the same day President Obama gave a primetime speech to announce that all combat troops had left Iraq, BatteryPark.TV is glad to announce “Mission Accomplished” too with Project Duck. The last straggling duckling that was developing flight feathers more slowly than the others finally flew away today.

(The last duck to fly, shown here two weeks ago with wingtip feathers still growing)

Every single one of the ten ducklings that was present on May 31 when we first began reporting on the stranded ducklings survived to adulthood and flew away. This was possible only due to a collaboration of various conscientious volunteers in the community, ranging from the Parks Conservancy staff who fed them when they were smallest, to other concerned residents of Battery Park City.

The waterfall pond had zero ducks in it at 6:00 PM today. Now, it’s just the old faithful overgrown goldfish left. However, the ducks return daily, so you will still be able to see them, and more strangers from Up North will land and visit in about a month, as they did last year. There are already three stranger mallard ducks hanging out.

August 17, 2010

The dynamics of the little Duck Utopia have been greatly altered. Four stranger adult male mallards flew into town and are hanging out in the waterfall pond during the day. They can be spotted by their slightly larger size and behavior. They do not associate in close proximity with the nine siblings that grew up in the pond. One of the adult males is also acting territorial, almost in pre-mating rituals.  The mother is not around much these days.

The young siblings seem to be learning from the new adults and are flying more often. This evening, all but two of the ducks flew the coop for the evening. One duck has had slow development of the flight feathers on her wings and another seems too small to fly with the pack.

August 11, 2010

A male duck landed in the waterfall pond today and was a bit larger than the others. It might have been one of the siblings that flew away 5 days ago. It began to lead the group around the pond and bob his head. Then suddenly, he took flight toward the Hudson taking with him one of the ducks on its first flight.

The remaining ducks took short flights but aborted them within the pond. They all hopped up to the highest rim of the pond and gazed westward. Then, suddenly again, three of them got the courage to fly away. They circled nearby over the Hudson for more than a two minutes. One returned to the pond. There are now six ducks in the pond.

August 6, 2010

One of the ten former ducklings flew out of the waterfall pond sanctuary for the first time today and went on an overnight expedition with the mother. Their behavior is to return in the morning. The rest are doing test flights the length of the pond. Unlike last year where only two ducklings survived, and only one of those had the nutrition to develop flight wings, all ten this year are doing well, thanks to the care given by the BPC Conservancy staff.

Fellow duck enthusiasts have asked some common questions and here are the answers.

Q1 Are they all females?

A: No. They will not differentiate into the colorful male plumage until next year. For now, the only distinguishing marks are the color of the bills. The males have green bills. Also, the mature males lose their colorful green plumage a month or so after the eggs hatch and develop a more protective camouflage brown color.

Q2 When will they fly?

A: Mallard ducklings can fly as soon as 50 days after hatching. Our ducks are almost 90 days old and have the fully developed wing feathers for flight. Being citified ducks, they seem to be a bit lazy and comfortable where they are.

Q3: When will they leave for good?

A: They will likely stick around in the pond until November. The mother will stay with them until next year.

Q4: Will they return next year?

A: Yes. They will likely return and nest again nearby.