Educational Postcards, Posters, and Video Remind Visitors to Observe, not Interact with or Feed, Animals in Battery Park City’s Parks and Public Spaces
The Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) today launched Keep It Wild!, a new public awareness campaign encouraging the public to responsibly observe wildlife in Battery Park City’s 36 acres of parks and public spaces. Through posters in park kiosks, postcards distributed by Authority staff and BPC Ambassadors, and video on BPCA’s YouTube Channel, Keep It Wild! helps celebrate Battery Park City as home to world-class public spaces that foster social cohesion, advance wellness and promote connectivity to nature. Park users are also reminded to continue maintaining a safe social distance from others and wearing face coverings to help stem the spread of COVID-19.
“This spring, as the weather warms and more people venture outdoors, all are welcome to come and enjoy Battery Park City,” said BPCA President and Chief Executive Officer B.J. Jones. “As we do so, let’s remember these important guidelines to help keep it wild for the many birds, insects, and other animals that also call our neighborhood home.”
Goal 3.2.1 of BPCA’s Strategic Plan aims to establish BPC as a biodiversity haven by building on its efforts to make the neighborhood a sanctuary for nature. Today, Battery Park City is home to a diverse array of wildlife. Many species of insects, including native pollinators, inhabit its gardens and lawns – as do more than 100 species of resident and migratory birds. Keep It Wild! reminds park users that Battery Park City’s green spaces provide all the food and habitat these animals need, and that wildlife does not benefit from human interaction. The campaign also includes resources about how to help injured animals found in BPC’s parks and public spaces.
If you encounter a wild animal in Battery Park City, please:
- observe it from a distance (both for your safety and the animal’s); and
- do not feed it.
If the animal you encounter appears injured or distressed, contact the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) at:
- (718) 482-4922 (Monday – Friday)
- (877) 457-5680 (Saturday & Sunday)
To learn more visit dec.ny.gov/animals.
“CB1 welcomes spring! The beautiful parks are our backyard and we want all of the plants and New York wildlife to thrive naturally,” said Tammy Meltzer, Chair, Manhattan Community Board 1. “Get your camera ready to capture the colorful blooms and animals from a safe distance, but please don’t share your lunch!”
Parks visitors are also encouraged to participate in the Battery Park City Wildlife Census; simply find a quiet spot in one of our parks to complete a brief wildlife observation. To date, Wildlife Census respondents have helped BPCA positively identify 72 diverse species of birds, insects, and mammals across the neighborhood.
Related:
o BPC: DID YOU KNOW? | BIRDSEED BLUES
o “It’s A Dog’s Life in BPC” Trifold (PDF)
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