We are advocating for the use of humane non-lethal methods to reduce the Canada goose population in Collins Park.
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by DAVID GOLDSCHMIDT
July 19, 2006
Three days was all it took.
Saturday morning, June 3, I arrived at Collins Park in Scotia with my wife, Kat. As the rain fell, we met up with Laura and Matt Brown, residents of Scotia. We counted almost 200 Canada geese, the very ones sentenced to death in the coming weeks at the behest of the Scotia village board... CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY...
Though Scotia's July 14 Village Board meeting was cancelled, we submitted a statement (click here to view) asking the board to work with us to develop a humane and non-lethal Canada goose population management program in Collins Park and Scotia. We eagerly await their response.
by LYNN PURCELL
May 26, 2006
As a resident of the village of Scotia, I must write this letter in objection to the decision to gather up, box up, gas and kill over 150 of the geese in Collins park. The mayor has stated that he, the village board and the Scotia parks board chairman Bill Pytlovany have "done their homework" and have thoroughly considered alternative options other than gassing and killing.
This letter is to tell them that I strongly disagree. They have NOT considered alternative options because many good alternative options are not being allowed to be put into action. Scotia village officials refused to team up with representatives of the GeesePeace program and adopt the GeesePeace program's non-lethal methods. Village officials state it would be too much of a "challenge." It is beyond belief that Scotia village officials have also refused to allow border collies to be hired for the park. These collies have proven without any doubt to be very effective in controlling goose populations in public areas.
The mayor, village board and Scotia parks department must reconsider their decision. Instead of gassing and killing, they must immediately enact and apply the humane and non-lethal methods of the many organizations and people who have offered assistance. This includes the use of hiring trained dogs, some egg addling, and landscaping the areas of the park where the geese often gather to feed on open lawns.
Also, the public needs to be educated that they cannot feed the geese because this is endangering them. Scotia village officials must listen to all the people who have spoken out against gassing and killing. This includes the editors of The Daily Gazette and Scotia-Glenville Spotlight in addition to spokespeople for the Humane Society of the United States, veterinarians, wildlife biologists, and many other Scotia residents.
Scotia village officials must adopt a policy of alternative solutions that are long-term solutions, not a short-term solution of gassing and killing. Scotia cannot continue with the plan to gas and kill. This problem can and must be resolved by using humane and intelligent methods.
May 26, 2006
This Saturday, May 27, at noon, the grass roots group Save the Geese will hold a rally in Collins park to protest the proposed gassing of the Canada geese in the park.
In the past few weeks, the group's mission and objectives to ensure that only humane methods of eliminating the goose population are utilized by the village have gained support from elected officials, individuals and businesses in the area.
Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, has communicated his opposition to the village's current plan to NY Wildlife Services State Director Richard Chipman and the State DEC Commissioner Denise Sheehan.
The Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the New York State Humane Association along with the Animal Protective Foundation in Scotia support the use of non-lethal methods and have communicated their position to the Scotia village officials.
"We don't dispute the village's need to rid the park of the perceived nuisance of geese; we simply want an effective and humane method to be used--there's no sound fiscal or processed based reason to justify any other method," said Susan Bobinsky, executive director for the APF.
George Sarris, federally licensed wildlife rehabilitator and renowned expert and educator on waterfowl said, "Canada geese are amazing creatures; they mate for life, are very social, and have been diminishing in population for the past 30 years."
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer has awarded over $200,000 in federally funds to downstate municiplaities to be used to manage goose population using non-lethal methods.
Call 374-3944, ext. 110 for information.
SPOTLIGHT NEWS -- Please scroll down for more information.
May 18, 2006
Disturb a twig in a wetland and you're almost certainly doomed to failure. Just ask about any developer in the region and you'll hear about projects that were doomed from the start because a wetland was somewhere on the property. Surely the intent of protecting wetlands is laudable, but determining anything larger than a puddle as a wetland is a stretch. The wetland issue is yet another tool for Nimbys (not in my back yard) to fight against almost any kind of development. The desire to protect undeveloped land is a positive, but reason and common sense should prevail.
The village of Scotia is defying reason and common sense with its board and supervisor's blessing to destroy almost 200 Canadian geese at Collins Park. This is despite the testimony of experts who say killing them won't solve and rather intensify the "problem." The village has determined to capture and euthanize the birds by gassing them. The innocent creatures' carcasses will then be buried, leaving not a trace that they ever existed. This all-out slaughter is not a solution but a symptom of an inability to listen.
The "problem" stems from the E.coli the birds contribute to Collins Lake. Last year, E.coli levels were determined to be too high and swimming was banned for the season. What, in effect, that meant was an entire season went by and nothing was done to address the geese problem.
So the birds are now destined to die. We would hope that there is still time to reconsider this decision. It simply makes no sense to take such drastic action, when there are humane ways to get rid of the geese. Environmental issues like global warming and preservation of open space are getting more attention of late. Should we really try to solve an environmental problem by such severe measures that some predict will have little or no effect on ridding the lake of the geese? We hope not.
Let reason prevail and save these creatures from an unnecessary demise. Man has already destroyed too many of nature's treasures. All too soon, children will have nothing but pictures to show wildlife species, and that is truly a shame. We'd like to think we won't be remembered in history as terminators or eliminators of the natural world. Let us rather be its champions for a change and protect our feathered friends.
chase the geese awayEfforts to chase the geese out of Collins Park and the Mohawk River have been successful, but
Please contact Matt at brownm@nycap.rr.com or 518-370-4009. Thank you!
Rather than eat contaminated goose meat (or have local and state taxpayers foot the expense of testing the goose meat), please help the hungry by donating non-perishable foods to the Schenectady Inner City Ministry (SICM) on behalf of Save the Geese.
The SICM Center is located at 930 Albany Street, Schenectady; for more information, please call 518-374-2683. Thank you!
Do Canada geese pose a threat to public health in Collins Park? Judge for yourself by visiting Canada Geese and Public Health, a concise report from The Humane Society of the United States.
Business owners: Please show your support! Send email to savethegeese@gmail.com with your location and phone number.