Rat-mitigation ambassadors wanted in New York City. Here’s how you can volunteer.
By Kristie Keleshian
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NEW YORK (WCBS) — If you’re tired of seeing rats around the city, you can now help minimize the pesky population.
On Sunday, Mayor Eric Adams’ office announced its latest rat-mitigation program that lets New Yorkers of all ages volunteer.
Rat burrows can keep out of Brooklyn, and all of the other boroughs in New York City, for that matter. That’s the message behind the Rat Pack.
“You don’t have to be Frank Sinatra and the crew. It’s just a different type of leader to fight the rats, and we want you to join up and become a member of our Rat Pack,” Adams said.
Child and adult volunteers, in yellow shirts and vests, from the Parent-Child Relationship Association shoveled mulch around tree trunks at Sunset Park on Sunday, to help the trees and deter rats and unwelcomed guests.
“I’ve seen dead rats while I’m walking my dog and I’ve told the Parks Department, and they pick it up right away because they’re fantastic, but the dead rats are not a good look,” nearby resident Lindsay Rubin said.
The Parent-Child Relationship Association is one of several groups working with New York City Service behind the Rat Pack, which trains volunteers in becoming rat-mitigation ambassadors in their communities.
“New York is a city of rats. Like, it’s pretty known to have a lot of rats, so it’s important to address the issue,” program coordinator Jason He said. “With rats, they also bring a lot of diseases, obviously, so that’s very important as well.”
The program is hoping to go from what’s now dozens to thousands of volunteers across the city, and stresses that joining in takes more than just signing up.
“To officially become a member, you have to participate in three events. That’s a Department of Health-posted Rat Academy, a volunteer event hosted through New York City Service, and a rat walk with me,” said Kathy Corradi, the city’s rat czar.
Rat walks through different communities are a way volunteers can take a unique look at rat biology and how they interact with humans. A calendar of volunteer events across the city through September is posted online.
“I love seeing all the community organizations. They all do so much great work in the park here,” Sunset Park resident Danielle Aronson-Wang said.
Some, like Aronson-Wang, are confident this will help curb the pesky population. Others say there are in wait-and-see mode.
“They shouldn’t be out and about like they are. We’ll see what happens,” Laura Rubin said.
Rat Academy trainings start in August and are held in person and virtually.
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