July 2011 - Parks & Recreation - 71

why we are asking them to not interact
with the birds, " Park Administrator Emily Lloyd says.
Other tactics now being used by the
park include border collie hazing, habitat modifications, and egg oiling. Results
have been dramatic, and the park has
earned public praise by the Humane Society of the United States and New York
City Audubon.
" We only found two Canada goose
nests in the early spring and addled 13
eggs in total. Some of the eggs did in fact
hatch; which the Humane Society says
is not uncommon. Sometimes the mother rolls the eggs and the oil comes off, "
Lloyd explains. " The border collie was
utilized for about six weeks, from early
May until mid June. During that time the
population of geese at the park stayed
fairly constant at around three dozen. We
don't know if the number would have increased had the dogs not been active, but
we wanted to use every tool possible. "
Elizabeth Beard is Managing Editor

of Parks & Recreation

geese spread out up and down the river
but we've created a no-tolerance zone in
some of the bigger parks. " While that is
still more than he wanted to have, Stell
says that the parks are looking better and
the city probably will not use its permit to
round up more geese this year.
Volunteer owners are marked by special vests, while the dogs wear a neck
scarf with the park district logo. Dogs who
like to chase geese in the water are also
equipped with flotation devices. Stell says
it was too difficult to create a formal volunteer schedule, but that may prove to be
an advantage in the long run. " The chaotic
nature of that I think was actually useful.
The geese didn't figure out what time of
day would be safe. "
Stell says the hazing will continue year
round, but he is encouraged at this point.
" We're keeping the parks in first rate
shape as long as the volunteers are willing
to come out with their dogs....Hopefully
next year we'll have few more. "

Techie Rec
Nine Apps to Enhance Park Programming

ome park professionals regard smart phones as annoying intrusions
into recreational time. Leading a nature trail tour with a group of people clutching iPhones and Androids, for example, might seem the very
worst way to cultivate appreciation for the natural world. And anyone
dealing regularly with the public has been frustrated by people talking loudly on cell phones, isolating themselves with incessant text-messaging, or
complaining about lost or damaged devices. Recreation professionals, in particular, feel responsible to create an environment where people can truly get away
from it all, leaving the noise and distractions of technology behind.
But what if the mind-boggling array
of utilities available to smart phone users could actually enhance park visitors' experience of nature? Could help
motivate and teach patrons of rec centers and fitness facilities? Could add a
sense of fun and community to outdoor
games and activities? We've done a
roundup of nine smart phone apps that
are tailor-made to improve patrons' experiences of exercise, recreation, and
the outdoors-without any park investment in equipment or resources. And,
while most of these apps are not free,
the costs to the user are nominal.

Nature Centers
iBird Pro

There are numerous bird-watching
apps available, but this one, with a database of 924 species, is considered
professional-quality. It has photos and
drawings and boasts the highest iTunes
Store rating. Updates are frequent, and
the app covers species in North America and Hawaii. $29.99. Available for
both iPhone and Android.

Wild Edibles
" W i ld m a n " S teve
Brill, who developed
this app, leads foraging tours around New
York's Central Park.
His goal is to help
people, just through
the use of their iPhone,
identify 165 edible
plants of North America. The app includes lists of scientific
and common names and habitats, as
well as diagrams of poisonous and nonpoisonous lookalikes. Included is information about the medicinal uses of the
plants identified, as well as recipes for
delicacies like a chickweed pasta dish
and wild persimmon ice cream. $7.99.

MyNature
This guide to animal track identification offers a database of 43 animals-
from groundhogs to grizzlies. It can
help park and nature trail visitors identify tracks and animals by their color,
markings, and gait. $6.99. Available for
both iPhone and Android.

www.NRPA .ORG

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Parks & Recreation 69

July 2011 - Parks & Recreation

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