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Batavia man helps free heron tangled in fishing line

Viewing wildlife is a great pleasure for those of us who enjoy spending time along the Fox River. It's amazing that such a diverse and extensive ecosystem exists amid our urban setting of busy towns and traffic.

Gregg Jonsson of Batavia is one who enjoys frequent strolls along the Fox, and always carries a camera. On most days, he encounters great blue herons - the prehistoric looking, yet majestic, long-legged birds commonly seen wading in the shallows.

Typically, they fly off when approached by humans. But this one was different. And that's when Jonsson learned his quiet stroll at Lippold Park was about to become a rescue mission.

"I stopped a good distance away, so I could take pictures before it flew off," said Jonsson. "Under closer examination, when I checked my camera to see how the images looked, I noticed the heron was tangled in fishing line, which is why it had trouble moving."

A quick phone call to his wife, Sylvia, got the rescue effort going, courtesy of Red Oak Nature Center. When Margaret Gazdacka at Red Oak got word, she instinctively grabbed a pair of waders and scissors and headed up the Fox River Trail to Lippold, wading across the river channel to reach the victimized bird.

"I first put a towel over the heron's head to keep it calm," said Gazdacka, a certified naturalist. "I was able to cut the line to set the bird free, but then I noticed a fishing lure with two treble hooks was stuck in its leg. Gregg had a Leatherman tool that we used to cut the barbs off the hooks and remove the lure from the heron's leg."

Seeing the heron fly away freely was the happy ending. But the episode also served as a poignant reminder of the dangerous impact careless visitors can have upon the environment - and also a lesson in how to prevent future tragedies.

Monofilament fishing line, lures, hooks, metal leaders and weights (sinkers) present huge dangers to birds and wildlife when not properly disposed of. Monofilament line is amazingly strong and can tangle around the bills, feet, wings and legs of birds - often resulting in death or amputations of feet, legs and wings. When line gets wrapped around a bird's neck, it can be the beginning of a slow, painful strangulation.

Little thought is given by some fishermen when they snap off a tangled line, other than "Dang, that was my favorite lure."

Just as bad is that many fishing lures resemble the fish and insects that are central to the everyday diet of birds, turtles, frogs and small mammals, which unknowingly ingest these replicas, hooks and all.

Fox Valley Park District is among the many park and rec agencies that have installed fishing line receptacles. Local Eagle Scout Dylan Avery worked with the park district to construct the collectors, which look like a periscope constructed of PVC pipe.

They're already installed at 10 of the most popular fishing sites around the district - many of them along the Fox River, but also at Waubonsie Lake and Jericho Lake parks. They are highly visible and easily accessible to fishermen.

Monofilament line is not biodegradable and kills indiscriminately. It's up to fishermen to lead this effort, and it's as easy as disposing tangled fishing line, hooks and leaders into these well-marked receptacles.

Better yet, leave the area cleaner than when you arrived. Clean up and dispose of any fishing line you may find. Share what you know with other fishermen about the dangers monofilament line poses for wildlife - and how easily preventable it is.

Do you part - knowing that your efforts are appreciated - especially by the majestic, innocent wildlife that live among the your favorite fishing areas.

Jeff Long (jlong@fvpd.net) is the public relations manager for the Fox Valley Park District.

Margaret Gazdacka of Red Oak Nature Center completes a rescue before setting the heron free. The heron was tangled in fishing line. COURTESY OF GREGG JONSSON
The leader can be seen hanging from the beak of a heron that swallowed a fishing lure. COURTESY OF GREGG JONSSON
The Fox Valley Park District has installed fishing line recycling receptacles in 10 of the most popular fishing sites in the district. COURTESY OF GREGG JONSSON
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