Stalled by Curiosity in the Middle of the Street

12 Jul 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coexisting with coyotes, coyote behavior, coyote living areas

Fortunately, it was very early so morning traffic had not really begun. The one and only other car that went by was going at a very low speed. Rather than run for safety as the car approached, the coyote just stood there and stared as the car passed within only a few feet of itself.

As the photos show, this coyote began crossing the street, and then got stalled right in the middle at the double yellow line. There was some odor that caught its attention and it had to check it out. But even after that task was completed, the coyote just remained close to the center double dividing line where it looked around and trotted back and forth — acting a bit confused and bewildered in that large and open asphalted space. It was in the street for a total of about a minute, but it seemed much longer than that. Finally it crossed to the other side, urinated, and then, unbelievably, it did the same thing coming back. Luckily no more cars appeared.

Please watch for ALL wild animals on all roadways. Roadkill can be prevented if we keep our eyes open. The highest cause of death for coyotes in urban areas is being hit by a car.

Purposeful With Pups Around, by Charles Wood

25 May 2011 2 Comments

by yipps:janetkessler in care for the young, coyote behavior, coyote living areas, coyote reactions to dogs, coyotes defending themselves, pupping

Before twilight today I saw both of the parent coyotes who live in a small field that borders one of Los Angeles County’s concrete ‘rivers’.  The last time I saw them was May 3.  I’ve yet to see their puppies this year.

Dad is still looking a bit thin.  I came across them both as I was leaving their field.  Mom was partially in cover.  I moved about twenty feet away from my leashed dog to get a less obscured picture of her.  Seeing an opportunity, Dad quickly approached my dog Holtz.  Dad disregarded Holtz’s barking and then charged.  I snapped a quick picture and then moved to stand between him and Holtz.  His opportunity blocked, Dad broke off his charge, moved back, calmed down and did some investigatory sniffing.  Throughout the event, Mom stood at the ready.  My read of Dad is that he would have stopped short of contact with Holtz regardless of my having blocked him.  There is an element of bluff in Dad’s displays and he was aware that Holtz, for being constrained by leash, could not engage him and hence, a close approach was safe.

The photographs included in this post illustrate how purposeful my coyotes can be when they have pups around.  Note that upon seeing my coyotes in their field, I head for the exit at once.  On the way out, I’ll stop in a clearing and take some photographs.  At times they merely hide, other times they do as they did today.

As mentioned in my post of May 3, Mom apparently has had her puppies this year.  It isn’t clear to me if today Mom and Dad, upon seeing me from a distance, messaged their accompanying pups to stay hidden while they took action against the intruders.  Instead, perhaps the two daughters from last year were babysitting so Mom and Dad could have some time off.

Posting written by Charles Wood. Visit Charles Wood’s website for these and more coyote photos:Charles Wood. His work is copyrighted and may only be used with his explicit permission.

Lost Alpha Status?

16 Apr 2011 1 Comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, coyote living areas, human behavior, native plant program

I’ve followed a female coyote for several years now — I’ll call her “mom”.  She had puppies the first year and the second year — they all grew up and eventually dispersed. But the third year and this year there were no puppies. Why? We are told that only “alpha” coyotes reproduce. So, might no puppies be due to her having lost her “alpha” status and might this also have something to do with the possibility that a new family group of coyotes might now be using this same territory?

Coyotes form nuclear family groups which exclude other coyotes from their groups and from their territories. I’ve watched this mother coyote raise her various families. Never have we seen other coyote faces within her family group, or other coyotes in her territory.

The theory of lost status occurred to me due to a rumor — unsubstantiated at this point — that a new coyote group, including juveniles, might have been spotted recently, passing through what has been her territory. I have not seen a new group at all. Coyote rumors are rampant in this area: they often spin into a life of their own. So my theory is speculative, at the moment, and will have to remain that way until we verify what we have heard through the grapevine. But I wanted to explore this possibility of loss of alpha status, even if it exists only as a theoretical possibility. I have noticed changes in behavior that might be explained by a loss of alpha status.

Coyote groups are always family groups: genetically-related individuals with the same parents. They are not like dog packs, where unrelated individual dogs form groups for survival purposes. If a new group of coyotes was seen that included juveniles, the young ones would have had to have been born last year, when our mother had no pups. They would have been born to another alpha since only alphas breed.

The presence of another family might also explain why our mom coyote’s forays into the larger part of a park have dwindled, if not totally ceased — she has been limiting her outings to a smaller area now, and I’ve seen her eyeing the adjacent area where the new coyotes were purportedly spotted.

Why might she have lost her alpha status? Could this have happened when her mate was killed? We are assuming it was her mate who was found poisoned two years ago, right at about the time her second set of puppies was born. We assumed this because we never saw a male in her territory after that event. We only saw her and her growing pups. Was her status tied to his status, and then lost when he died?  Or could she have lost her status because there was no male, whatever his status? Or might she have lost it by another means — for instance, she was badly injured by a car two years ago, which might have compromised her ability to remain an alpha?

Then again, she might be too old now for pups, or she might have sustained internal injuries from that car accident that prevent her from having more puppies. One theory brought up in the literature is that coyotes self-regulate their population sizes. If an area has all the coyotes it can support, coyotes will have very tiny litters, or none at all.

So, no puppies, and the possible sighting of another family group including juveniles makes me think of the possibility of lost alpha status. In addition, the previous bolder behavior which suggested an alpha is no longer what I am seeing in our mom. We will never know the answer to the “whys”. But we do know that this very proud, aware and responsible mother coyote has stopped having pups altogether for the past couple of years and she has retreated to a smaller territorial area where she has been less visible than she used to be. Time will tell how long this situation will last — it might be very temporary, or it could be long-term.

Habitat destruction could be driving coyotes out of their previous homes and into new areas.

Habitat Destruction. Habitat destruction is the single most harmful human activity to wild animals. Many of us are upset at the very short-sighted policies causing this habitat destruction which lead to displacement of our wild animals. The “native plant programs” is a case in point: dense animal habitat is being removed in order to plant native plants which offer little if any habitat value — these are mostly dune-type plants. Animal habitat consists of dense areas of growth, brambles and underbrush which are impenetrable to humans and dogs — this is what makes it a safe habitat for animals. In San Francisco we have vast areas of our Presidio which are now being cleared of their forested areas for the benefit of native plants — this means lost habitat. In addition, the remodeling of Doyle Drive, and its attendant habitat destruction, may be driving coyotes out of their original homes close to the periphery of the city, and causing them to move deeper into the heart of the city to find new places to live. If new groups of coyotes are being seen in some areas, this is the strongest explanation.

Tell-Tale Trail After Rainstorms

30 Mar 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote living areas, indirect signs of coyote presence

Here is a set of nice footprints I came across recently in one of the parks after a hefty rainstorm. The footprints are next to each other, indicating the coyote had stopped to observe something. Did it stop because there was a vole ahead to be caught? Or was there maybe a dog or human ahead to be avoided? Maybe the coyote had been traveling with its mate and stopped to observe what the other was doing. Or maybe it was traveling alone and stopped simply to assess the lay of the land before moving on. These are all common coyote behaviors.

Further on I came across another sign left by a coyote. Dogs for the most part tend to poop off to the side of a path. This makes sense — it is close to where they were walking. However, different from dogs, coyotes often appear to leave theirs as specific traces of their presence for others to see — often right in the middle of a trail or a trail intersection. If it is left as a “message” it is a form of communication.

I’ve actually observed a coyote in the “act” of defecating in the middle of a path, as a message for a person or dog who was following not too far behind. I am sure the message was to convey some kind of delimitation or boundary — either territorial or personal space — but its exact meaning I cannot be sure of.

Marking with urine is a sign that we humans can’t read at all, but we all have observed a dog or coyote go up to a spot where another canine has left its mark, and then mark on top of that — “trumping” it, so to speak. Humans can only be aware of this “sign” if they see a coyote mark, or if they have a dog who “trumps” another dog or a coyote’s marking — and you can’t be sure which.

Finally, on this trail, I came to a spot that suggested a turnoff point for a coyote — which would also be used by other wild animals — a “tunnel” in the underbrush that went deeper into the woods and away from all human and dog activity — an escape to safety.

Further along the trail I saw the imprint of raccoon paws on the path — the “hand” print is pretty clear, but there is also a “foot” print to the immediate right of it.  Our parks have lots of wildlife. There were no signs indicating a scuffle, so this raccoon probably did not meet the coyote whose trail I followed. Although a group of coyotes can overpower a raccoon, one-on-one a raccoon can normally defend itself well — and does so ferociously — against a coyote.

Wild Animals Need Thick Areas of Growth Where They Can Hide or Seek Protection

13 Feb 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote living areas, native plant program

Coyotes require both open fields where they can hunt for the rodents which they live on, and they need thicket areas where they can retreat to for protection and rest. The top row of photos shows coyotes retreating into overgrown thicket areas. Coyotes especially need these protected areas when they live in urban environments: they need to be able to escape from dogs which chase them and they need to be able to keep away from people for their own safety.

Much of the original native flora of this area consisted of sparse, low lying shrubbery and dune plants — plants which grew and thrived in the sandy soil. Non-native trees and vegetation were introduced into the area to control winds, keep the sand from blowing around, add variety and to provide visual breaks. This non-native vegetation proliferated and created wonderful habitat and protection for creatures who might not otherwise have been able to move into the area which is now so heavily urbanized.

In recent years there has been a strong trend to reintroduce native plants and clear out non-native thickets. There is no thought given to the critters who live in these wild overgrown areas. When entire areas are cleared out for the purpose of introducing native plants, the homes of our wild animals are destroyed. Since our furry wild animals are not on any “endangered list”, they have no legal protection. The bottom row of photos shows areas where entire thickets have been cleared out, and either left bare under tall trees or planted with low lying native shrubbery — neither of which provide protection for coyotes, where protection once existed.

A Mother’s Concerns, by Charles Wood

11 Jan 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, coyote living areas, ears, urban coyote ailments

Saturday my leashed dog Holtz and I revisited my Los Angeles area coyotes’ field, taking a shortcut back to the car.  Mom showed herself for a few moments and then crept back into the brush.  There were also teenagers in the field playing with their assault air rifles.  Although my path and theirs didn’t cross I would have liked to hear if they had coyote stories of their own to tell me.  As Holtz and I left, the kids were cavorting and shooting their air rifles blindly into the brush, putting an end to my bird and coyote watching.  There were many ears and eyes following those kids, all on the move away from them.  If the kids decided to actually hunt they would have had trouble finding anything to shoot.  Like Holtz, they lack stealth.

Earlier in the week I showed a photo of Mom to my veterinarian who confirmed Mom’s ear was infected or had mites, was a source of discomfort, and would eventually develop into cauliflower ear.  Another concern is that this year, the brush in their field is being cut more frequently.  In early December the brush was recovering from its earlier mowing, yet in mid-December the brush was mowed yet again.  Last June, most of the field was a diverse puppy training ground and a small yet thriving ecosystem.  That messy and dull looking area is quite different from both the neighboring golf course and public park.   The golf course and park seem as deserts when compared to dull brush.  Fortunately we also have a protected 100 acre nature center area that supports an assortment of living things providing each for the other, coyotes and hawks included.

I wonder what, if anything, could or should be done for Mom’s ear.  I’ve learned from Janet’s blog that removing a coyote from its environ for treatment is a significant disruption of the group.  Her two youngsters, neither yet a year old, still depend on her maturity and skills.  Another consideration is that she is or will soon be in season.  Holtz has had otitis caught early and the treatment was to irrigate his ears with Betadine followed by daily applications of ointment to his ear canal with oral antibiotics twice a day over a two week period.  With Mom, she probably has damage to or a collapse of the ear canal and a cursory web search of the topic suggests treatment at this stage is more complex with no certainty of a successful outcome.  Even were resources available to provide treatment, intervening might do more harm than good.

I don’t like that answer.  Mom has grown to dislike me just as much as I have grown to love her.  I do feel her jobs are of more concern to her than is the discomfort from her ear.

Posting written by Charles Wood. Visit Charles Wood’s website for these and more coyote photos:Charles Wood. His work is copyrighted and may only be used with his explicit permission.

Into The ‘Hood

01 Jan 2011 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, coyote living areas, exploring Tags:

Sometimes coyotes venture out of the parks and into surrounding neighborhoods. They don’t stay long. If you see them, they seem to know exactly what they are doing and where they are going — there is purpose in their movements. Interestingly, most humans don’t even see them. This one returned quickly to the unpaved park area.

Streets And Cars

12 Nov 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, coyote living areas

Even the smallest streets with minimal traffic pose a risk to wildlife: possums, skunks, raccoons, but also cats and dogs. In this instance a coyote was able to dash onto the grassy area beside a road as the car came by. The car stopped and both car driver and coyote fixated on each other after the near accident. And then, the coyote proceeded to walk down the street again! This was a tiny little roadway in a residential neighborhood.

However, two years ago, in July, I observed a coyote whose incapacitating limp I tracked for a full month. I did not know what had caused the limp, but I found out six months later when I was talking to someone about the dangers of life in an urban area for coyotes. She told me that six months earlier, on one of the busiest thoroughfares during peak rush hour traffic, as cars slammed on brakes to avoid it, a coyote meandered its way across the traffic and was struck by a car: she had observed this herself.  The coyote dragged itself out of sight before anyone could get to it, so no one could have helped it after the accident. This was one of only a few coyotes in the area, so it had to have been one and the same as the one with the bad limp that I had observed during that same time frame. The injury healed and the coyote is still kicking around, so I suppose it was lucky. Only a year before this, as another coyote was crossing that same street, it was hit, with a less happy outcome — that one did not survive.

“More Waiting: A Southern California Update” by Charles Wood

14 Sep 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in communication, coyote behavior, coyote living areas, coyote's coat

It has been over a year since I entered my coyotes’ field to take pictures of birds.  At that time I believe there were three or four coyotes regularly in that field.  Two I have come to know as Mom and Dad.  The other one or two I haven’t seen this year and presume them to have been their offspring.  Last summer I didn’t come across the coyotes very often.  A couple times I noticed one coyote sneaking up on my foraging dog.  I shouted the coyote off and leashed my dog.  Another time my dog and I ambled out of the brush onto a dirt road.  My dog alerted and I looked up and saw three or four coyotes resting quietly by a large puddle on the dirt road.  They looked as we would have looked at strangers who had abruptly stumbled upon us while ensconced in a relaxing, private conversation.  Each coyote’s head was turned and frozen for a moment, looking at us with surprised concern.  Before they all darted off into the brush, one slowly stood up first and then paused as if to say “Well then, we’ll be leaving now.”  Dad’s muzzle wasn’t scarred last year when at the end of summer when he finally chased me and my dog out of his field.  In late spring 2010 I returned with the birds.

2010’s most memorable moment was viewing puppies in early June.  Soon thereafter I saw seven puppies together though now I seem to be seeing only two youngsters with Mom and Dad.  They meet around dusk at the same place in their field and if I’m lucky I see them before dark.  That particular place is, as I now think back over the last year, the place where I was most likely to come across coyotes.  It is not far from, and on the way to the place I go in and out of their field.  I would pass that area in leaving about the time that light became too dim for photography, their time.

Mom now has her winter coat, the coat that will keep her warm until January or so when she again comes into season.  Monday Mom was with a youngster, pictured together and separately.  They stayed within easy reach of each other.  They saw me before I saw them, that is, at least Mom did.  Mom was sitting and watching when the youngster’s movements caught my eye.  Mom wasn’t moving so I didn’t see her, though the camera did.  At times I don’t see Mom even when she is moving.  Twice this month she has surprised me, once at the bridge and once along the river.  Each time she seemed to be instantly there.  She marked, scratched dirt, mock charged and withdrew.  There was a time when only Dad so messaged me.  Since they now both do, I leave their area before it gets too dark.  Earlier this summer, sun still out, three times Dad sneaked up behind me and got way too close before I saw him.  Neither Mom nor Dad is getting used to or comfortable around me.

I did return to an area to the immediate north-west of their field.  There, on September 3, I was surprised when a young coyote poked out from the brush into the clearing in which I was standing.  It turned and fled, my dog having barked and charged.  A couple days later, at the spot I had been standing, lay coyote scat, small coyote scat that appeared to be a couple days old.  Good job!

Posting written by Charles Wood. Visit Charles Wood’s website for these and more coyote photos: Charles Wood. His work is copyrighted and may only be used with his explicit permission.

“Mom”, by Charles Wood

01 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by yipps:janetkessler in communication, coyote behavior, coyote living areas, reactions to a human Tags:

I saw the mother of the alpha male’s puppies on July 30 and July 31, 2010.  It was near sunset and at the north end of the field both times.  The north end is a major street with a dirt road underpass.  The dirt road allows transit to a more bountiful undeveloped area.  On Saturday, July 31, 2010, I watched from the western boundary and was rewarded when she appeared.

She trotted south along the dirt road.  She stopped frequently to look behind her.  I did not see any followers.  At one point she went off the road to look behind her, probably for a clearer vantage point.  Then she continued down the road.  When she neared her destination she lifted her rear leg and urinated on the side of the road.  Closer yet to her destination she defecated, scraped, and continued to look back.  Her destination was a brushy area and she marked the spot where she eventually entered the brush.  I suspect it contains her den because she previously had showed herself to me at that same entrance.

On June 5, 2010 I walked along that road as she stealthily trailed me.  When I reached that entrance she came out and made a stand.  After several minutes she withdrew.  I cautiously followed her a few yards into the brush.  I stopped and looked for her.  I didn’t see her.  I went a few more steps and she darted out in front of me from the shadows.  Ordinarily she is timid, unlike her mate.  Although timid, she gets the job done.  I backed out of the brush thinking that something there was too important to allow an intruder.

The bountiful area to the north is certainly home to other coyotes.  I suspect she hunts there, having seen her near the underpass many times over several months.  She was likely chased away and looked back to be sure the chase had stopped.

Posting written by Charles Wood. Visit Charles Wood’s website for these and more coyote photos: Charles Wood. His work is copyrighted and may only be used with his explicit permission.

Where Do Urban Coyotes Prefer to Hang Out?

06 Dec 2009 4 Comments

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote behavior, coyote living areas Tags: , , ,

Where do urban coyotes prefer to hang out? Coyotes can be spotted anywhere in urban settings: streets, parks, yards. But they tend to keep to their preferred areas in large urban parks. Most coyotes stay well hidden during the day in the parks: under brush areas, in thickets, in less frequented areas of the parks. It is very difficult to detect them when they remain still in these denser areas because of their well camouflaged coats — they blend in beautifully with their surroundings most of the time. All coyotes will remain within reach of these denser areas which serve as their safety net. These denser areas are also where various dens are hidden — coyotes, for their own protection, move among various dens when their litters are young.

I have seen individual coyotes hang out in large open fields, areas where they hunt for gophers or voles. They usually will retreat when the first visitors appear in a park, but sometimes they may continue their activity, totally unperturbed! I have seen a couple of coyotes in mid-elevation areas where they appear to be relaxing on a little rise in the ground, fairly distant from where human and dog activity is: here, they’ll stay put and monitor the activity in the distance, getting up only when a dog charges up at them. When a coyote feels intruded upon or threatened by a dog, it will either flee, or it will climb to a higher ground level where it might begin a long barking session. It might also return the favor of a chase.

Coyotes, like the rest of us, do move around in the parks, and can be seen sometimes during daylight hours on the paths. If you see one, it probably has been hunting in the area, or it is on its way somewhere. And if you have a dog, a coyote might follow you at a distance to asses and monitor the dog — this might be for various reasons, including curiosity. But also, coyotes are territorial and are aware of any potential competition for the resources they need to survive on. They may be assessing how much of threat this dog might be to them.

I have heard of a coyote darting in front of the path of a dog which it knew wouldn’t harm it, playfully teasing the dog into a mild chase. And I have heard of a coyote jump-leaping onto a leashed dog next to a runner on a trail. The owner yanked the dog and the coyote missed its target. It should be noted that this happened in April which is prime pupping season — April through September is a timeframe when territorial instincts are very high in coyotes.

Some of the coyotes seem to have favorite spots in some of the parks: one might overlook an area with very little dog/human activity. Another might overlook a trail frequented by dog walkers — keeping an eye on things seems to be one reason coyotes are out in the open.

Coyotes also have been spotted on city streets. They do not “hang out” here, but are usually they are on their way somewhere: pedestrians have seen them, and the traffic has stopped for them!

Native Plant Program Damage

19 Sep 2009 2 Comments

by yipps:janetkessler in coyote living areas, native plant program Tags: ,

Today one of the coyotes was basking in the sunshine in one of many favorite spots — there was no activity, so there was not much to write about regarding her.

However, in the park this morning there was a huge crew of volunteers cutting down a beautiful area of old growth, lichens, moss and overhanging picturesque branches — all to be replaced by a damselfly and butterfly habitat of native plants. This “nativism”, which involves substantial clearing of existing growth, has impacted the coyotes who live here. The area the coyotes use the most is an area that has been impenetrable to humans, because of both the extreme incline of the hills and because of the density of the poison oak and blackberries. No footpaths are in this area. Since no one has ever cared to go into this area, it has been a perfect coyote habitat. However, last fall we found out that the nativists were pulling out poison oak in this area and as they did so they uncovered a coyote den. Poison Oak actually is a native plant which serves as a protective barrier for the animals. Instead of leaving the area alone, they returned this spring to pull out even more poison oak whereupon they uncovered several more dens. This interference with the dens has impacted the coyotes — they are much more out in the open than they ever have been before. Is this plant program more important than the existing wildlife in the area?

The nativist plant program, referred to as NAP has received a full 1/3 of our parkland for their program. Any plant that was in California before 1750 is a “true native California plant” — these are mostly scrub and dune plants. That these plants never existed in some of our parks doesn’t seem to matter — they are being ‘restored’ anyway. And neither does it matter that people love the park the way it is. This park has never been managed in the past — and that is where its charm and beauty have always resided. It has always felt “wild”, untouched by humans, where you could see what wild-growth was really like if it were left alone.

For this program, the dense, existing growth which has been in place for a long time, is being removed: dense thickets, underbrush, old-growth with lichens and moss. Hundreds of the eucalyptus trees, which serve to collect the fog water and moisten the ground, have been removed; so much of this very special natural beauty which has always been the signature character of this particular park is being taken out in the name of “restoring native plants”. Most importantly, the removal of this growth is impacting animal habitats and removing animal hiding places. The coyote dens are a specific example. Another example is the so-called “invasive” “non-native” flowers growing on the grasslands which have been removed by poisons, even though they add color and variety. Poisons such as Brush-B-Gone are being used, affecting gophers, voles, bees, snails and worms. These small animals are the food source for our hawks, owls, raccoons, and coyotes.

So, the forestry character of some of our parks is being altered and existing habitats are being interfered with or eliminated in favor of landscaped areas which will require continual maintenance and weeding to keep out what will continue to grow there on its own. I myself have spoken to the planning director for the parks and to the head of the day-to-day operations. Submitted comments won’t even be addressed until the springtime.

Volunteers with no supervision continue the clearing. Our Park Department has few gardeners because of the budget cuts, so volunteers do most of the work using their own directives and a one dimensional credo to remove anything “non-native” and “invasive”: we now have barren patches along paths and a mud-hole in place of the once lushly vegetated creek are. This week, a huge swath of willows — again, a native plant — was cut down and chopped up to preserve 7 small native brush plants higher up on the hill — and at a distance from the willows that defied comprehension for how the two were even connected. Today, beautiful long tendril-like branches, 6-8 inches thick and covered with lichens and moss were chopped down in order to create a damselfly and butterfly habitat, irregardless of the use of this area by other animals: every morning I had been watching the Coopers Hawks perched in this area as they hunted -– the perches are gone now. There are plenty of places in the city where “native plant gardens” can be created — why does this beautiful old-growth have to be cut down. The “gem” character of this particular park is being altered totally.

We all need to be included in the planning of the park, not just the vehement and well organized native plant group who seldom have frequented the park. There is a lot here that needs to be saved, including the animals habitats and, of equal importance, the wild and overgrown character of the park we all love so much. Nativists have an arsenal of politically correct catch-phrases: “invasive” “native” “non-native” “biodiversity” “scientific”, which are used to impose their own biases. However, in just a few weeks, I have seen that just removing the “invasive cape ivy” is not where the plan is headed, even though this is what is talked about. The program is changing the entire nature of the park, altering the overgrown wildness which is its signature and primary characteristic by letting a nativist program take over the park. This, in turn, is interfering with existing animal habitats.

We all are for native plants and some clearing, the extent of this work is what is of concern.

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