"Join individuals and organizations around the globe in celebrating the 26th Annual International Noise Awareness Day, April 28, 2021."
There is bound to be extra noise created by a BYOB garden at the Vanier Park Duck Ponds, in particular from the amplified music, mini-speakers, boom boxes and iPhones that accompany many to their park gatherings. This additional noise, in addition to the increased crowds, is bound to have a negative impact on the wildlife that live there. Here are several articles that call attention to this issue.
Noise pollution threatens biodiversity… https://ecoreactor.org/en/noise-pollution/
"Contrary to what one might think, anthropogenic noise affects not only sensitive species directly exposed to intense sounds, but also many terrestrial and aquatic animals that inhabit very different ecosystems, often distant from human clusters. Although noise responses depend on the species, its negative effects, for terrestrial animals, may begin to appear as low as 40 dB [1]. Not only the intensity of sounds is important here, but also e.g. the frequency of the wave.
Noise pollution can change animal behavior and even affect their physiology. As a consequence, reduced reproductive success, higher mortality and intensified migrations among many animal species are observed. Such disorders strongly affect biodiversity both within the population and within the ecosystems themselves. Today, at least 19% of nature protection areas covered by the Natura 2000 network are in areas around which noise levels exceed road, rail and air traffic thresholds set out in the environmental noise directive.
Today we know that permanent noise can cause in changes in animals’ activity, use of space and migration, feeding and supplying young, mating behavior, as well as territorial defense and vigilance towards predators [1]. A very well researched (because the most easily observable) problem in connection with exposure to noise is a communication disorder among animals.
Birds have especially big problem here. Robins, for example, use singing to signal aggression and resolve conflicts arising from competition – before they escalate. The complexity of sound signals is closely related to their intentions, especially in the case of aggression. It turns out that the recipient of such an aggressive signal, in the presence of noise, is not able to match his answer (and thus probably also assess intentions) [2]. According to the authors of the study, noise pollution may therefore negatively interfere with the competitive behavior of birds and have consequences for their evolutionary adaptation."
Noise pollution rules should be tightened to protect wildlife, say scientists. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/20/noise-pollution-wild-life-better-regulation
"Studies have found noise pollution to be linked to poorer human health, but experts say it can also affect wildlife, from disrupting their communication to affecting where they live and the efficiency with which they forage for food ... We always talk about climate change, chemical pollution, plastic pollution and habitat destruction … but noise especially in urban areas can really have a negative impact on animals as well,”
The Impacts of Urban Noise and Light Pollution on Avian Communities.. https://bentonswcd.org/effects-of-urbanization-on-birds/
"Both Anthropogenic Noise and Artificial Light at Night bring about some serious impacts to wildlife. Birds serve as a very impactful and common model when it comes to researchers trying to understand both these anthropogenic effects. Through many studies on the impacts of urban noise and light pollution on birds; scientists have found these impacts to interfere with circadian rhythms, communication, reproduction, and migration; just to name a few."
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