Get To Work, Rook...!

Now here is an idea that would come in very handy in a big city like Houston. Train birds to pick up the litter around the parks. This article from Listverse shows that it has been done before, and seems to work just fine.

Theme Park Workers

Photo credit: Live Science

Around 20 years ago, Christophe Gaborit watched wild ravens sort through trash. Years later, Gaborit worked as a falconer at a theme park. Puy du Fou is located in France and enthralls the public with ancient gardens and villages. Visitors also enjoy historic reenactments but liberally sprinkle the park with litter.

Seeking a solution, Gaborit’s memory of the ravens sparked a novel suggestion—train rooks to pick up the trash. Rooks belong to the crow family and share their smarts.

In 2000, Gaborit hatched and trained his first two birds. He used a specially designed cabinet to dispense treats when the rooks put things like cigarette butts in the drawer. In this tasty manner, the falconer eventually raised and taught six rooks to recognize and remove litter. The feathery trash collectors graduated class in 2018 and now hop about the park, picking up rubbish

Call me crazy, but I think this is an excellent idea for any city. Only thing is, who can we train to clean up the bird poop ?

Coffee outside again, where the temps are supposed to be in the high 70s or close today.