Open air sports stadiums often have issues with
birds,
insects, and other wildlife. Common preventative measures include
ultrasonic devices and bird
netting. But Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium - one of the venues for the 2010 World Cup - has taken an all-natural approach. It is working with the Urban Raptor Project to install
raptors, bats, and owls to
patrol the stadium for various pests, while a
trained peregrine falcon chases away crows. This is not a new technique -
Millennium Stadium in Wales has long used a
Harris Hawk for bird control. But according to the NMB stadium manager, it "is the only stadium with a programme like this in place as a pest deterrent".
posted by gemmy
on May 31, 2010 -
12 comments
Long revered for its value as a
fertilizer, and as a raw material for
explosives, guano is the dried droppings of various birds and bats. The New York Times has published an excellent account of the
Peruvian harvest of this valuable resource including a
multimedia slideshow. Guano was superseded by synthetics in the early part of the 20th century, due to the development of the
Haber Bosch process, which fixed atmospheric
nitrogen.
An attempt to harvest bat guano from a
Grand Canyon cave in the late 1950’s was beset by technical problems and was ultimately unsuccessful. The remaining structures at the canyon rim are now a
tourist attraction.
posted by Tube
on Jun 7, 2008 -
13 comments
Barry Bonds has broken the all-time record with the benefit of a
controversial technological revolution in the game, derided by traditionalists:
The Maple Baseball Bat.
Using technology and woodworking techniques pioneered by
Sam Bat, Bonds helped develop and popularize the bats that are just as responsible for the advent of the
Juiced Ball Era as, well, the other thing.
posted by Slap*Happy
on Aug 7, 2007 -
192 comments
