Save Waltham Wildlife

Save Waltham Wildlife (SWW), a Waltham Land Trust initiative, began in February 2023, when several WLT volunteer trail stewards attended a presentation in Lexington by Laura Kiesel, the founder and driving force of Save Arlington Wildlife. The primary goal of both groups at this time is to limit and eventually ban altogether the use of Second-Generation Anti-Coagulant Rodenticides (SGARs), which have been killing local raptors (including three eagles).

Because SGARs act slowly, rats who have eaten SGARs have time to wander out into the open and, as they are dying, to become the prey of hawks, owls, eagles, foxes, and, sometimes, family pets. In digesting the rat, the predator also ingests the poisons, leading to internal bleeding and all too often to death

Since banding together, SWW's main activities have been raising awareness, lobbying local officials, and gathering information. In terms of raising awareness, one of SWW's first major initiatives was to bring Laura Kiesel to Waltham, where she gave a presentation on SGARs and alternative methods of rodent control at the Waltham Public Library on May 6, 2023. See Laura’s slideshow below.

Later in May 2023, the Waltham Land Trust submitted a letter of support for two bills at the statehouse, one of which gives control to local communities regarding use of pesticides. You can read it below.

On March 9, 2024, SWW joined forces with Mass Audubon to hold a hybrid meeting reiterating the dangers of rodent poison and ways local residents can get involved protecting Waltham wildlife. Watch the video of the meeting to learn more.

SWW held a follow-up Zoom meeting on March 28. Here is a PDF of the slide presentation.

SWW and WLT will continue to lobby for city-wide banning of SGARs and for a more holistic approach to rodent control, involving better trash management (including the provision of large, rodent-safe trash bins to all Waltham residents) and greater use of both Contra-pest and snap traps.

• Climate change, rapid construction, and increasing population density have contributed to a dramatic rise in rat and mouse populations in and around metropolitan areas like Boston.

• Rat poison is typically the primary method used to address the problem.

• These poisons are harming and killing local wildlife and pets, putting young children at risk, while doing little to effectively reduce rodent populations.

Rat Bait Box

Hawk eating a rat

Local naturalist and conservation advocate Laura Kiesel gave a presentation exploring the history of rodenticides, their impacts on human health and the environment, and potential solutions for moving forward in a way that protects our communities and the planet.