GeesePeace, POA to meet this month
Posted on Wednesday, October 1, 2008
October might mark the beginning of the end for many of Bella Vista's Canada geese.
On Oct. 22, officials with GeesePeace, an organization dedicated to "better communities through innovative, effective and humane solutions to wildlife conflicts," will visit the city and assess the goose situation.
They will then devise a plan of action to reduce the number of birds without killing them.
David Feld, national program director for the organization in Falls Church, Va., said he expects to be successful in the endeavor.
"Basically, every program we have ever started was successful," he said in a telephone interview last week.
When he arrives in an area, Feld assesses the situation and provides a formula and a recipe - which, if followed, will work each and every time, he said What works for GeesePeace is first locating the nests. Then, once eggs are laid in February and March, they are coated with an oily substance that stops further production.
Feld said geese are predictable. Once they have young, even if they fly off later that year, they will return to nest again. The oiling process stops those births and gives the adult birds no reason to return.
"The key is no goslings," he said.
Before oiling the eggs, each one is inspected for any signs of life. If the embryo has developed beyond a certain point, particularly with developed lungs, the egg is returned to the nest and allowed to hatch.
Of course, the program is based on finding nests, and as long as some go undiscovered, the birds will continue to reproduce, Feld said.
Feld has not visited Bella Vista, but after viewing aerial photos of the city, he said he doesn't see anything unusual about the habitat and geography here.
Beginning the GeesePeace method in October will give local officials the advantage of having time to put a plan in motion before the mating season, he said. They will be prepared once eggs are laid.
"I think folks will be very happy with what we will be able to do," he said. "This is a solution everybody can live with."
In a related matter, Bella Vistan Jim Parsons, head of the Bella Vista Patriots, an- nounced last week that his group is putting together a goose-relocation plan.
"In order to reduce the overpopulation of geese in Bella Vista, the Bella Vista Patriots are planning a'Goose Giveaway, ' "Parsons said in a press release.
According to the Patriots, anyone who meets certain criteria - including being willing to take the birds outside of the city limits, having suitable habitat and already living in an area zoned for the birds - is eligible.
Parsons noted it will take several months to obtain the proper federal and state permits in order to go forward with the plan, but in the meantime, the Patriots "need to start taking orders now."
He asks anybody who is interested in the program to call him at 876-2624.
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