[Press Release] : Parks and Recreation launches pilot geese control program

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Contact: Tammy Miller, Columbia Parks & Recreation Department - (573)
874-7465; Brian Canaday, Missouri Dept of Conservation - (573) 884-6861
ext. 234; Kathy Love and Dulce - (573) 875-7918

Parks and Recreation launches pilot geese control program

COLUMBIA, MO (April 1, 2008) - This April and May, the Columbia Parks &
Recreation Department will pilot a two-month program using an
environmentally-safe method to attempt to reduce the number of geese in
Stephens Lake Park. The first step of the process includes herding - but
never touching or attacking - the geese with a highly-trained border
collie. Kathy Love, a skilled trainer, will lead her border collie,
Dulce, in driving the geese away from the park’s lawns and water
bodies throughout April and May. 

"The border collie pilot project is an innovative and humane effort to
manage the growing geese population in our parks," said Park Services
Manager Mike Griggs. "Congregating geese can cause a number of problems.
Damage to landscaping can be significant and expensive to repair or
replace, while large amounts of feces can render swimming areas, parks,
golf courses, lawns, docks and trails unfit for human use. The numbers
of Canada Geese at Stephens Lake Park has increased to the point that it
is becoming a health and safety issue. To protect the health and safety
of the public, we need to find humane and effective ways to deter the
Canada geese population." 

Large flocks of resident Canada Geese leave excessive goose droppings,
resulting in large areas of landscape that are unavailable for public
use and recreation. In Stephens Lake Park, geese continually overgraze
the grass around the lake and its surrounding landscapes. The high
nitrogen content in goose droppings can alter water chemistry and
produce algae that rob the water of oxygen, killing fish and other
wildlife. Geese are particularly aggressive during breeding and nesting
season. Their behavior can cause problems when geese attack and nip at
park users.

Bred to herd sheep, collies have a natural instinct to round up flocks
of geese. By patrolling various areas of the park, the geese will be
encouraged to abandon the lawns and water. In conjunction with the
border collies, public education is crucial. Feeding geese only
encourages them to linger in public areas. Other measures that the
department uses to combat resident geese population include habitat
modification such as planting a natural vegetation barrier around the
shoreline; erecting fencing around the island and shaded portions of the
shoreline; using rock and boulder barriers; removing any nesting areas;
and using chemical repellants that make the grass inedible for geese
only. The department also uses harassment methods such as noise-making
and visual devices. 

Herding dogs, public education and habitat modification are methods of
Canada goose management that are approved by the Humane Society, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service and the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Parks and Recreation has a long history of working with these agencies
on controlling geese and other wildlife in the parks. The idea about
using a border collie for geese control came about from a 2006 meeting
with the St. Louis Chapter of Geese Peace (314-567-2081). Unfortunately,
the availability of a local border collie did not appear until recently.


At the end of the pilot program, Parks and Recreation staff will
determine its effectiveness in moving the geese and interacting with the
public before extending the project. 

- 30 -
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