CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Springtime ushers in beautiful weather and the return of outdoor activities, but taking the kids to feed the wild ducks and geese at Clarksville’s ponds and lakes should not be one of them.
While feeding the wildlife is a time-honored pastime that many see as a fun way to dispose of that loaf of stale bread, the harm to both the parks and wildlife often goes unseen.
The first problem is the amount of extra waste the ducks and geese produce when humans feed them. This is becoming quite the problem at Liberty Park’s fishing ponds, where over 250 Canada geese had taken up full-time residence when a headcount was done in August.
“Each goose produces 1 pound of waste per day and up to 4 pounds if they are hand-fed,” said Ryan Sample with Clarksville Parks and Recreation.
“The waste is damaging the park turf, causing slip hazards on walkways, posing health concerns, and damaging the protected wetlands. All resulting in a growing burden to our taxpayers,” Sample said.
Feeding the wild ducks and geese also causes problems across town at Dunbar Cave State Park’s Swan Lake.
“We don’t allow people to feed the ducks and geese at Dunbar Cave; it’s a state park rule,” Park Ranger Adam Neblett said. “It’s teaching the animals bad habits. Wild animals are supposed to be wild, but when they’re fed by people, they lose that natural fear of humans.”
Bread can kill ducks, geese
Additionally, bread is not an appropriate food source for ducks or geese.
“Most people are feeding the geese bread, which has zero nutritional value for them. They’re supposed to eat grasses, so if they’re filling their stomachs with bread, they’re not getting nutrition and can actually starve to death with a full belly because they’re basically filling themselves with fluff,” Neblett said.
This practice can be particularly detrimental to young geese who are still growing.
“If they’re a young goose, then it can lead to deformities to where they can’t even fly because they weren’t getting the proper nutrition and vitamins from things they should be eating,” Neblett said.
But instead of issuing citations to those who feed the geese at Swan Lake, Neblett would rather turn the moment into a learning experience.
“When we do see somebody feeding the geese, we try to treat it more as an educational encounter versus law enforcement,” Neblett said.
Leaving the nests alone
Another consequence of feeding the wild ducks and geese is that nests of eggs start to appear.
While the eggs themselves are not the problem, protecting them from other wildlife and humans alike becomes an issue.
“The City of Clarksville does not protect the eggs of these resident geese but uses non-lethal goose management techniques to deter them from setting up residence at our parks. This includes landscape modifications and predator decoys,” Sample said.
That’s why you might see a plastic wolf emerging from the grasses around the pond.
Park rangers at Dunbar Cave State Park also take a hands-off approach to the eggs.
“If we know in particular that there’s a nest area, we might put up some flags or something to kind of mark it so it’s not disturbed, but our general policy with anything wildlife is to let nature take its course,” Neblett said.
“People seem to be under the impression that wildlife needs our help when generally, they don’t. The best thing we can do is to leave them alone,” Neblett said.