By Wendy McDonnell

I am pleased to hear that the snow geese have heard the public’s appeal for an alternate means to maintain fields without the use of toxic pesticides.  After walking across a school field, I was thrilled to see the FREE maintenance the geese are providing.  With the Snow Geese on the fields, there is no need for any weed or feed.  The geese are efficiently grazing on any weed shoots that have sprouted while leaving behind a perfect fertilizer blend.  Yes, the fertilizer may be a little slippery when walking, but it is much less abrasive then the toxic smell we had to bear the entire summer from lawns freshly sprayed with chemicals.   When the rain falls, the feces is dissolved into a long lasting nutritious treat for the fields, increasing its ability to fight any “weed” that may want to take root after the geese leave.  The grass on the fields also looks well aerated, very similar to the way it looks when it has been mechanically aerated.  This aeration has been referred to as “the secret weapon for a healthy lawn”, which has also been provided free by the snow geese.  Not to mention the hours of entertainment that they provide.  My children loved running to the geese, watching how they can lift off and land almost as if an invisible string connected them.  The geese were unfazed by them, and I was appreciative that they allowed my children to learn about them through exploratory play. It was almost as if they knew that the children were the ones that would be in charge of their survival in the future.  By allowing them to experience the joy of running through the snow geese, my kids learned about flight, teamwork, survival, music and compassion for others.   Then they returned home with a gift from the geese, some beautiful white feathers to adorn the tree.

As I observe the thousands of geese struggling to survive on what land we have left them, I am amazed at how humans feel that their presence is but a nuisance and that they feel culling is called for.  Yes, the snow geese numbers have finally reached a sustainable population once again, and it is amazing how they have the ingenuity to survive amongst a human population that feels that they are unnecessary, unsightly and “over abundant”.  These “over abundant” geese squeeze onto school fields because the regular cropland that they weed and fertilize over the winter has been built on or sprayed so heavily that no weeds grow!  No food… no geese…

I try to teach my children that it is important to remember that even though we know we are loved, they are loved as well.  Considering their population is not even close to the human population and their carbon footprint is zero, it is unfortunate that we don’t extend the same graces to them as we do to our own.  For instead of taking without returning as humans do, not only are the geese surviving, but they are teaching us how to maintain our earth, within the cycle of life, naturally.  Thank you to the Snow Geese.

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