Lah. Returning the spirit of Hal to the wilderness
Annual hike
Late March/ early April
Lah is an annual 50-60 mile walk that commemorates the occurrence of Hal,
a coyote who appeared in Central Park in 2006 and who died shortly after
being captured by authorities. The three day walk investigates how a coyote
might have found its way onto the island of Manhattan by making a reverse
human journey off the island: starting at Hallet Nature Sanctuary in Central
Park (where Hal had made his home) and walking out of the city into the
wilderness. The route follows greenspaces and park corridors. The route
changes each year to explore another possible course of coyote travel. 2009's
journey lead to Peekskill, 2010's to Riverdale Connecticut.
In addition to the walk, each year an ephemeral monument is created that
explores the idea of boundary between city and nature and the mythological
identity of the coyote as a transgressor or trickster.