Bald Eagles on the Hudson River?Beavers in the Bronx? Big City Wild! shows you some critters that you never knew were there, and the passionate New Yorkers that are dedicated to their survival.
Some of these species have not been seen in the city for decades, or even centuries.
Yet now, thanks to the tireless efforts of a colorful collection of New Yorkers, they been returning to the city in greater numbers every year.
Beaver in the Bronx! The Bronx River (New York City’s only fresh water river) is now the home of a celebrity rodent – Jose the Beaver.After a couple of centuries as a dumping ground for sewage and industrial waste, and a couple decades of community clean-up efforts, the Bronx River is finally clean enough to sustain native wildlife again!
image courtsey WCS
Click below to see Character Video Clip
His arrival is greeted with great joy by the dedicated staff of the Bronx River Alliance, a team of young conservation workers with hands-on responsibility for maintaining the health of the river.They come from the neighborhoods along the river – the once maligned, now flourishing South Bronx.
Passionate about their river, they are amused to discover that some of their neighbors didn’t even realize there was a river in the Bronx until “Jose the beaver” showed up.
The story of Jose’s life through the seasons provides a through-line for our tour of the lives of other “Big City Wildlife” … and their enthusiastic supporters…
Eagles on the Hudson! Charlie Roberto is not your average birdwatcher.When not busy with his FDNY duties as Captain of a Harlem firehouse, he exerts his tremendous energy and passion in sharing the excitement of urban birding.
He’s the driving force behind a mid-winter celebration called The Hudson River Eagle Fest, and delights in pointing out the regal, predatory birds cruising the river north of the George Washington Bridge, or perching at Metro North train stations.
“People are just thrilled to see them,” says Charlie, “And most New Yorkers don’t even know they’re right here in our backyard!”
Click below to see Character Video Clip
Coyotes from the Suburbs! The coyote has made the big move from "way out west," through Westchester County, and into the Bronx and all the way to Central Park!
Close on their heels are wildlife researchers bringing with them all the high-tech tool they usually use in the wild; including radio collars and automatic "camera traps" and even specially-trained "poop sniffing" dogs. They are eager to learn where the coyotes go, how they "make a living".
Now that the coyotes have arrived, residents are going to have to figure out how to deal with the presence a top predator in their neighborhoods.
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Islands of the Harbor Herons! Babe Ruth used to practice slugging baseballs off the dock atSouth Brother Island back when it was the private retreat of the owner of the New York Yankees.Today, South Brother is the newest of New York City’s expanding network of bird sanctuaries, … in the shadow of the Rikers Island Jail.
Thanks to the clean-up efforts of the last few decades, the harbor and shorelines around New York City have become an amazingly attractive place for birds to nest and raise their young. Species like the double crested cormorant, once numbering just a few dozen pairs, now nest here in the thousands.
The Harbor Heron Project, a coalition of researchers from local environmental organizations and the NYC Parks Dept. Natural Resources Group, is doing challenging field research a tough urban environment to understand the needs of the returning bird populations and help assure their survival
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Big City Bi-valve – Oysters on the Rise!
At the end of the 19th century New York Harbor was world renown for it oysters, eagerly consumed by rich and poor alike.A combination of overharvesting and deadly pollution drove them locally extinct for generations.
Now, through the NY/NJ Baykeepers, teams of New Yorkers are coming to the rescue of this lowly shellfish.People from all walks of life - from university scientists to school children in Queens, downtown hipster artists and retired folks in the suburbs - are getting down and dirty in the muck to and discovering the satisfactions of oyster gardening.
Birds & Glass – A Fatal Attraction!
Millions of birds stop over in New York City on their annual migration, taking advantage of green parks, rooftops and hundreds of miles of waterfront. But, for some of these “tourist birds”, the city can become an impenetrable barrier of glass.
NYC Audubon’s Project Safe Flight team deploys flocks of volunteers to monitor the migrating birds as they collide with buildings throughout the city. In addition to counting the dead and rescuing the injured, they are testing ways to prevent these needless deaths – everything from peel & stick anti-reflective coatings to guidelines for architects who want to build new, “bird –safe” designs.
Click below to see Character Video Clip
With warm, gentle humor (and a smile at the quirkiness in all New Yorkers), this film celebrates the struggles and successes of some very unlikely creatures in our most urban environment.
Living proof that“… if you can make it there …”
Big City Wildlife -- making it in New York!
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