Sacramento/by Kristina Rogers/March 3, 2021
The ponds are a main attraction for families visiting McKinley and Land Parks. Children and adults enjoy watching the ducks and geese freely swim or lounge on the grass. Unfortunately, people don’t realize how a thoughtless act can threaten the animals lives on a daily basis. Although the City Parks Department is tasked with managing the care of park wildlife, budget cuts and minimal staff leave many waterfowl alone to suffer from a man-made injury.
The parks are lucky to have one person helping the birds, “The Lady of the Lake,” Judy McClaver. Each week Judy monitors the condition of Sacramento City park ponds and rescues injured water fowl. Over time, she’s found the main culprit of duck and goose injuries to be fishing lures, lead weights, and hooks. Fishing line frequently binds a ducks wings and feet. A hook can embed itself into a goose and cause a slow, painful death. Lead weights and other metal objects cause lethal lead poisoning. Fishing line frequently causes loss of a foot, which means slower movement and an easy meal for predators. It can be too much for even one person as dedicated as Judy, to manage.
City ponds aren’t stocked with fish and they are highly contaminated from waterfowl, turtles and trash. Even those who just want to take their families out for a “fishing lesson” don’t realize how losing equipment around or into the pond is dangerous. It’s very easy for our waterfowl to become entangled by discarded fishing line in the water, or along the shore. Lures and hooks sink to the bottom of the pond and waterfowl become entangled when feeding on pond bottom weeds.
To raise awareness about the impact of abandoned hooks and fishing wire, Judy is advocating for new signage. She is working with park and city leaders to get the signs approved. The goal is to post two signs at each pond location in McKinley Park, Southside Park, North Natomas Regional and Land Park. Colorful, large signs placed at every pond can help raise awareness and curb the “I didn’t know” excuse. The signs are paid for by private funds, donated by the community. To help get Judy started, the Land Park Community Association is donating funds to pay for new Land Park signs.
It’s important to note there used to be signs of this type around our park ponds, but they were removed without a reason why. The removal has allowed injuries & illness to the waterfowl to increase.
How can you help? Judy is asking for donations to help cover costs for the signage in the North Natomas Regional and Southside Park ponds. She could also use neighbors with any connections with the City to help move along the approval process. And, if you are passionate about caring for our local wildlife, you can reach out and offer to volunteer with her.
How to donate
East Sacramento Preservation (ESP) will direct donations to Judy. Donate to ESP via PayPal by clicking here. Indicate the donation is for the pond in the note section.
You can also mail a donation to :
East Sacramento Preservation
PO Box 191763
Sacramento, CA 95819
How to volunteer
Contact Judy McClaver at: 916-457-2725
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