Thursday, September 13, 2012

FROM STOP THE POISON, SAVE THE HAWKS (And the Dogs, and the Children....)

From Stop the Poison, Save the Hawks
"The Met has responded, stating that they have stopped using poison and the boxes that we see are either empty or test boxes.
We have agreed to stop the call in for the Met at this time.
We requested a meeting with them and they sounded agreeable. Keep your fingers crossed!
As for the Museum of NH...no response...thank you for calls today.
We will keep you aware of the events.
Many thanks! Save the Hawks!


The planned call-in protest targeting The Metropolitan Museum of Art was cancelled partially due to the following letter.

AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE
 To the authors who wrote and posted the news release below—and have launched a telephone campaign to the office of the President of the Metropolitan Museum of Art—PLEASE know that the Met has not put out poison in the rat-trap boxes around its exterior perimeter since this latest controversy began weeks ago. I repeat: the boxes do NOT contain poisons, only food to test for rodent presence. When news first reached us about the illness of the hawks, we consulted with Orkin, the company that provides pest control for the Museum, and while its scientists did and do defend the chemical they employ for rodent control—insisting that it does not cause secondary health impact on wildlife that consumes poisoned rodents—the Museum elected out of respect and genuine concern to suspend using the chemical while further investigations were conducted. We have not resumed putting poison in these traps ever since.
 In the interest of fairness, and in recognition of the responsible effort the Met is undertaking to find a reasonable solution, I think it would be appropriate for this phone-in campaign to cease immediately.
 If anyone has further questions, please feel free to contact me on email.
 Many thanks for your understanding.
 Harold Holzer
 Senior Vice President, External Affairs
 The Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
 New York, NY 10028
 T: 212-570-3951
 F: 212-570-3995
 M: 646-894-6902
Here is the original Call to Action


Mary Kostus 7:49am Sep 12
Please read the following Post from the Group "Stop the Poison". In light of the recent dog poisonings in Riverside Park, this is even more important. If dogs are getting into poisons in the parks, children could as well. We need to implement a better strategy to reduce the Rat population than usining Poisons that can harm Hawks, Dogs and Children.

We just want to let you know that the Central Park Conservancy is not using poison at this time, That is the good news.

However, the bad news is, since this petition was launched, we unfortunately now have strong reasons to believe that Pale Male’s third baby “Opera Star” and Pale Male’s mate, Zena, have been poisoned and died.

As you know, these latest poisonings come on top of the awful discovery that Pale Male's and Zena's first two offspring were so ill, they had to be rescued from the vicinity of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While in rehab, they tested positive for super toxic rat poisons. Despite the serious harm the rodenticide has caused, The American Museum of Natural History and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, still refuse to stop using it.

We are now issuing a call to action:
Today, Wednesday, September 12, 2012, please make a call to both these institutions and let them know that you are very concerned about their use of rat poison and urge them to use alternative methods. There are solar garbage cans, rodent proof cans, and other sanitation control methods that would resolve the problem.
Just one phone call can help save all the Hawks in Central Park. Please make these two calls on Wednesday. If each of us pitch in, our voices will be heard.
If all you receive is a voice mail, please leave a message.(They keep disconnecting their numbers, but the main ones still work).

Thank you for your concern and willingness to help stop these needless deaths.
Save the Hawks...Stop the Poison!

stopthepoison@aolcom
The American Museumof Natural History:
Ask for: Museum Director Ellen V. Futter, email: futter@amnh.org
Phone:212-769-5100, 212-769-5102-finance, membership(212) 769-5606
Also-Karen Quigley, Office of the President
email: kquigley@amnh.org
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Phone: 212-535-7710 press * then “0” ask for "Emily Rafferty" ( President), leave message with anyone.
Save the Hawks...Stop the Poison!
 And for those who appreciate that the Met is waiting for further word on the poison, you might want to send a thank you note.

News on the poisoned dogs who died after being walked  in Riverside Park---

http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20120911/west-harlem/peta-offers-reward-riverside-park-suspected-fatal-dog-poisoning

Donegal Browne

Sunday, September 09, 2012

Pale Male, Alex the African Grey, and Russia's Putin Does Cranes

                                                Courtesy of www.palemale.com/  

 9/5/2012   BEAUTIFUL  PALE MALE ON HIS TALL PERCH ATOP THE CONIFER

 Alex the African Grey, who proved that parrots do know what they are talking about, died five years ago this Thursday.

There is a new DVD coming out about his life.  For more information go to--www.LifeWithAlexMovie.com

Quicksilver, the African Grey who lives with me, is doing very well, and is utterly pleased that green beans are now in season.

Not only does he enjoy the seeds within the pods, but the pods themselves are extremely useful as projectiles when used against Pyewacket the Cat.  Who, not the least bothered by being pelted, immediately begins a game of  right paw against left paw green bean tennis.

If only we too could live in the moment the way many of our fellow creatures can.

And last, some links of interest courtesy of  Robin of Illinois--

 http://birdnote.org/show/pale-male

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/06/fly-away-dohm-russias-putin-shows-endangered-cranes-the-way/?hpt=hp_bn2

Donegal Browne