Up close with Copper and Judah

Amity ecology students tour Riverbend Landfill

Feb 5, 2013 | 1 Comment

(Nathalie Hardy/ County Government Reporter) Take a look at this video of Amity High School students visiting Riverbend Landfill. The video highlights the school’s Ecology Club and includes a special guest appearance by falcons Copper and Judah.

In November the landfill introduced a new tool to combat seagulls and other winged pests: Kort Clayton, a falconer with Airstrike, and his cadre of falcons.

To learn more about the program read Falcons to fend off landfill pests.

Comments

03:21 pm - Thu, February 7 2013

Kort said:

To date, the Riverbend falconry program has successfully displaced gulls from both the landfill and surrounding valley. Gulls are seabirds, and are challenged to survive in non-marine upland habitats in the absence of a significant source of food. By denying gulls access to the landfill and forcing them to resume more natural foraging patterns, there is less reason to stay in the area. As a result, they have begun leaving the valley and are likely returning to the coast. The falconry program is intended to be good for the landfill, good for the neighbors, and good for wildlife. So far, we are seeing success on all three fronts.

Kort Clayton, Airstrike Bird Control