Taylor Park neighbors think tall grass is to blame for daring coyotes

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LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – As the grass in Taylor Park grows higher and higher, more neighbors are worried about what they see. An area of ​​the park is occupied by unwanted visitors and some members of the community feel that the city is not stepping in to help.

“Back then it was a beautiful park, people used the park, flew kites, people lay down and read books,” said Julian Tyler, a resident of Taylor Park.

The Tyler family have called Taylor Park their backyard for the past 20 years. A peaceful property near 70th Street and “O” Street in Lincoln, but about 10 years ago they say the neighborhood has changed.

The city decided that part of Taylor Park would be managed under a “tall grass or prairie area in the park policy.”

Tall grass in some places currently exceeds five feet in height.

Neighbors say Lincoln Parks and Recreation said the tall grass will help get rid of weeds in the park after a few years.

“And here we are over 10 years later, we still have a lot of weeds,” Tyler said. “It’s just not being maintained, according to their master plan.”

Parks and Rec claims that Taylor Park is one of the largest in town – about half of the park is mowed regularly, the other half falls into the “tall grass category”. These places are usually mowed one to three times a year, depending on the type of vegetation, depending on the city.

The Tyler family say Parks and Rec will mow the area about once a year, but within a week the grass has already grown back.

The tall prairie grasses may have been a sight to sore eyes at first for the neighborhood, but they are now causing serious concern for neighbors.

Those living nearby say they have seen people facing homelessness sleeping in the tall grass and now the area has become breeding ground for coyotes. The animals live in the tall vegetation where they can stay hidden, and a short walk from East Ridge Elementary School.

“They come into people’s homes and into their backyards and a lot of people are worried about their little pets,” Tyler said.

Neighbors believe that if Lincoln Parks and Recreation mowed the area more regularly, unwanted visitors would not hang out.

Parks and Rec said in a statement that they didn’t think mowing native grasses would deter coyotes from being in the park. They added that coyotes have been seen laying eggs in mowed areas of other city parks.

Neighbors in Taylor Park even offered to mow the area themselves, but said Parks and Rec said no to the idea and instead got out and dug several trails through the grass. But neighbors say the tunnels don’t solve the problem.

Many in the area just want the old Taylor Park back.

“We’d love to see him come back to a neighborhood park, that’s what it is,” Tyler said.

According to Lincoln Parks and Recreation, the drainage channel, which runs through the park to the north and south, is probably the most important factor in the presence of coyotes.

They say animal control staff have set up daily surveillance of the area around the park for coyotes.

If you see a coyote, you are encouraged to report it to Lincoln Animal Control.

You can read Lincoln Parks and Recreations’ full statement here:

“For your information, Taylor Park is designated as a neighborhood park and has the typical features of a neighborhood park such as a play area, a park shelter and a multi-use open lawn. Taylor Park has an area of ​​19.5 acres and approximately 9 acres of the park are regularly mowed. The average neighborhood park is approximately four acres in size. Taylor Park is almost five times the size of a typical neighborhood park, and the areas of active use for regular mowing are about twice the size of a typical neighborhood park. The remaining 10.5 acres of Taylor Park are managed as long grass / meadow within the park. There is an area of ​​native grass that has been established in the western part of Taylor Park, north of the playground and shelter. It is also important to know that there is a large drainage channel that runs through the center of Taylor Park from north to south. This drainage channel is a tributary of Dead Mans Run.

There are designated long grass / prairie areas in the park in 51 of Lincoln’s parks, including 33 neighborhood parks. Tall grasses and meadows in parks are areas of passive use in parks that are typically mowed one to three times a year, depending on the type of vegetation. Areas that have been seeded and established as native grasses are typically mowed once a year in late winter before the growing season. This park mowing practice allows limited resources to be focused on mowing active use areas in parks.

There are urban populations of coyotes established in Lincoln. Parks and Recreation staff work closely with Animal Control to address citizen concerns about coyotes. We know that urban coyotes are found in a number of parks. They seem to use drainage channel corridors and storm sewers to get around. Coyotes reported in Taylor Park are likely to access the park along the drainage channel through Taylor Park to Dead Man’s Run.

We encourage people who see coyotes to make loud noises and to raise their arms in an attempt to prevent them from interacting with people. Residents should not leave food, including pet food, outside to avoid attracting coyotes and other wildlife. Residents of areas where coyotes have been sighted are encouraged to watch their cats and small dogs when they are outside.

It was suggested that we consider mowing the area of ​​native grass in the northwest area of ​​the park to deter coyotes. We don’t think mowing native grasses will deter coyotes from being in the park. Coyotes have been seen laying eggs in mowed areas of other parks. The drainage channel mentioned above is probably the most important factor in the presence of coyotes in Taylor Park.

Animal control staff have set up daily surveillance of the area around Taylor Park for coyotes. Residents are encouraged to contact Animal Control at 402-441-7900 if they see coyotes in or around Taylor Park or other parks.

The hours of operation of the parks to the public are specified in the Lincoln Municipal Code. Taylor Park hours of operation are 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., which matches most parks in Lincoln. People can indulge in a variety of recreational and leisure activities in the parks during opening hours. Sleeping in a park during park opening hours is an authorized activity. Being in a park after hours can be considered trespassing. If neighbors in Taylor Park believe people may be staying overnight in the park, they are encouraged to call the Lincoln Police Department’s non-emergency phone number, 402-441-6000, to report the behavior. If the police encounter a homeless person in Taylor Park after hours, they can help that person get in touch with local support services.

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