Silent predators of the sky, raptors are nature’s cleanup crew, until toxic rodenticides turn their meals into a deadly trap.
Friends of Brookline Raptors is the local chapter of Mass Audubon‘s statewide Rescue Raptors initiative. The chapter was co-founded by senior Ben Fusillo and activists Kathy Jantzen and David Bricks to combat the use of second generation anticoagulant rodenticides SGARs, a poison meant to manage rat control. When a predator digests a rat that was killed by this poison, it also becomes poisoned. Operating in multiple locations, including Friends of Brookline Raptors in Brookline, Rescue Raptors is dedicated to protecting wildlife and promoting safer alternatives to rodent control.
Friends of Brookline Raptors worked to pass Warrant Article 18, a home rule petition that authorized the Town of Brookline to prohibit or restrict the application of SGARs, and was successful, with 232 votes in favor, 7 against, and 4 abstentions. The bill will now go to the state house for consideration.
Joslin Murphy, member of Rescue Raptors and an author of Warrant 18, highlighted the ripple effects of using SGARs, which not only target rodents but also endanger entire ecosystems.
“People see rats on their property, they call an exterminator, the exterminator comes and they put boxes containing SGARs down,” Murphy said. “SGARs contain this very potent, very toxic rodenticide that kills not only the target animal, which is the rat or the mouse, but also the animal that chooses to eat the targeted rat or mouse. And that’s what is killing [the raptors].”
The death of a beloved bald eagle inspired Murphy to take action in Brookline.
“Last year when I learned of the death of MK, the bald eagle in Arlington, I decided to make it my mission to try to address the use of SGARs in Brookline… I reached out to [town officials] to see if they would adopt a policy prohibiting SGARs on public property,” Murphy said.
Fusillo said the group’s mission began to take shape last summer. One of the most rewarding aspects of working with Friends of Brookline Raptors, according to Fusillo, has been making a difference in Brookline.
“I’ve cared about Brookline’s parks and nature, and I love the birds here. I would have never been able to actually feel like I was improving the town and making a change if I didn’t join this, so it was really meaningful to me,” Fusillo said.
According to Brick, navigating different perspectives while staying united as a team has been a great experience.
“It has been a really great experience for me, and it has also been really good being on a team with other people with similar values trying to try to do some good,” Brick said.
Murphy said she is hopeful that other communities will try to adopt this effort in the future.
“There’s a strong public outcry about this because of the number of wildlife that are being killed by these poisons,” Murphy said. “I think many, many more communities are going to file their own articles and that will send a very strong message to the legislature that something should be done statewide.”
