Bio
“When rats started overrunning our neighborhood, Caroline came through for us,” says a Harlem resident. Rat eradication requires both cutting-edge science and community engagement. Ms. Bragdon excels at both. She meets with residents, gardeners and business owners; walks through neighborhoods to identify problems; and offers training so that communities can use the most effective pest management materials and strategies. She also involves other City agencies in solutions because their efforts must be in sync. As an innovator, Ms. Bragdon worked with the team that implemented the first citywide rat-indexing program, transforming rodent inspections from single building surveys with pen and pad to surveying whole blocks at once with handheld devices, allowing rat colonies to be targeted at their source. Ms. Bragdon also piloted the use of a steel-mesh barrier to prevent rats from burrowing in tree wells, and helped initiate twice-daily garbage collection in some parks. Says the President of one block association, “Caroline will bend over backwards to help any neighborhood in need. She knows every piece of the puzzle and has an incredible amount of sincerity and empathy.”
