Imagine all the People, Imagine all the Rats
Recently I completed NYC’s Rat Pack Academy where I couldn’t help but think this unplanned program was exactly what I needed. Fan of Ol’ Blue Eyes, the catchy name immediately caught my attention. Add free swag, sign me up.
Simple 3-Step Program:
1. Virtual Meeting: A highly informative, two-hour deep dive.
2. City Walk: An engaging, one-hour session with a rat expert meeting NYC’s Rat Czar!
3. Volunteer Project:Â Brilliant idea, NYC. Not only did I learn about rats, but the opportunity to become a better neighbor—sneaky and effective!
Learning how to mitigate the rat problem (BTW: female rats can have up to 84 pups per year), I am reminded of many things. Lasting solutions to big problems depend on big human behavioral changes. We are not so different, we and rats. We both love our food, housing, & short commute. And volunteering to pack groceries for seniors technically is the opposite of “rat behavior,” one that I’ll be repeating for sure.
Thank you NYC Dept of Health. When I now listen to Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night,” I will be reminded of nocturnal city rats and my participation in NYC’s Rat Pack Academy.