Road Kill Question

[Curmudgeon]

Look into it. Where do you think all the compost comes from for the pretty rest area flowers on the thruway and Rt 81. 

 Untested for the most part.

 

Is that where they composted the minke whale - whose skeleton in now on display in Ithaca?

 

[Four Season Whitetail's]

Is that where they composted the minke whale - whose skeleton in now on display in Ithaca?

 

This post fit's the rest of your posts. Job well done!

[Curmudgeon]

This post fit's the rest of your posts. Job well done!

 

4 season's - At least I am not ranting about politics.

 

I admit to being wrong. It was not a minke whale, and it was composted in Ithaca not Cortland.

 

"A Whale of a Tale!

In 1999, a Northern Right Whale in the North Atlantic became

severely entangled in fishing equipment. About six months later

the whale was found dead off the coast of New Jersey. The US

Coast Guard hauled the 30,000 pound whale to shore. Since

there are only approximately 300 individuals left, a call went out

to museums to see if there was interest to preserve the whale

in some way. The Paleontological Research Institute (PRI) in

Ithaca, NY said they would take it. They cut some of the flesh

and blubber off the carcass and hauled it on a fl at bed truck to

Ithaca. Behind PRI, next to the Cayuga Medical Center, the whale was laid in a large bed of horse manure

and completely covered and left to compost in a large pile. The pile was left for six months (October-April)

and gently uncovered so the bones could be tagged and turned by hand. The bones, bits of fl esh and skin

were again covered and left until October. With many volunteers, the bones were cleaned and weighed

and ready to be assembled. If you are ever in Ithaca, come to PRI and visit the whale skeleton that was

composted on their site. (Note: in one year the bones actually showed signs of pitting and degradation, for

preservation purposes it could have come out of the pile a bit sooner.)

Source: Jean Bonhotal, Cornell Waste Management Institute."

Edited February 27, 2015 by Curmudgeon