Ridgewood GeesePeace

Ridgewood GeesePeace: Volunteers Improving Our Community Since 2007

2010-04-30T14:33:00.003-04:00

Formed in March 2007, Ridgewood GeesePeace is a group of volunteers that recognized the health hazards associated with the unchecked growth of our resident Canada goose population and acted to resolve this wildlife conflict by implementing humane methods endorsed by major national wildlife protection and humane organizations, including: The Humane Society of the United States, the Fund for Animals, PETA and the Doris Day Animal League.

The GeesePeace program comprises three main solutions: Population Stabilization, Geese Exclusion and a No-Feeding Policy.

Population Stabilization

Egg oiling by trained volunteers helps control the resident goose population humanely. Since the program’s inception in 2007 Ridgewood GeesePeace volunteers have oiled 395 eggs in 80 nests within the Village.

What’s the long-term impact of our efforts? In the year 2015 there will be 1,022 fewer adult Canada geese in our immediate area than there would have been absent our continuing egg-oiling program.

Geese Exclusion

Trained dogs chase geese away from areas in which they are in conflict with the community. The Village of Ridgewood has contracted with Tyco Animal Control to harass and chase geese from designated areas that include Graydon Park, Veterans Field and other recreational areas and municipal facilities where their presence is unwanted.

No Feeding Policy

It is unlawful to feed wildlife on any public park or on any other property owned or operated by the Village. [ See Part II, Chapter 105, Article VIII, §§ 105-50 thru 105-54 of the General Code. ]

Geese come to a site for two reasons. First, they like the grass kept short for them by frequent mowing. Secondly, lakes, ponds and other water bodies provide them with safety from land predators. Artificial feeding of the geese exacerbates the problem. During harsh winters some people believe that they need to feed geese, especially when the ground is covered with snow. Geese have plenty of resources to find food for the winter. One way is to fly to warmer areas. They should not be encouraged to stay, when they will naturally find warmer feeding grounds.

Help your community! Report nesting geese to Ridgewood GeesePeace.

Canada geese nest in late March and throughout April. If you see geese nesting or have a nest on your property, don’t chase the geese away or destroy the eggs. The geese will simply lay more eggs in a new location. As a result, Ridgewood GeesePeace may not be able to locate the new nests in time to oil the eggs and the population will continue to grow rather than be reduced.

Report nests in the Village of Ridgewood by calling the Parks & Recreation Department at 201-670-5560.

Report nests in Bergen County parks by calling the McFaul Environmental Center in Wyckoff at 201-891-5571.

Ridgewood Volunteers Making a Difference | 2009 Results

2009-06-13T14:21:00.005-04:00

The final numbers are in, and the results are impressive. From late March thru the first week of May, Ridgewood GeesePeace volunteers spread out all over Bergen County to help stabilize the resident Canada goose population in Ridgewood and our surrounding communities. Here are the final results:

VILLAGE OF RIDGEWOOD
97 eggs oiled (22 nests) = 944 fewer adult Canada geese in 8 years* than there would have been absent the GeesePeace egg-oiling program.

BERGEN COUNTY PROPERTIES (County Parks, United Water properties, schools and private property throughout Bergen County excluding Village of Ridgewood):

871 eggs oiled (210 nests) = 8,081 fewer adult Canada geese in 8 years.

COMBINED VoR/BERGEN COUNTY

968 eggs oiled (232 nests) = 9,023 fewer adult Canada geese in 8 years.

*Estimates of unborn Canada geese based on GeesePeace formula, which provides for a 40% survival rate for goslings.

GeesePeace in the News

2009-04-24T09:42:00.004-04:00

Local GeesePeace efforts are getting some great press this year.

Read a Bergen Record article reporting on oiling in Saddle Brook, Saturday, April 11.

View the GeesePeace segment of a Star Ledger Live webcast, featuring Ridgewood volunteers oiling in Woodcliff Lake, Monday, April 20. View the entire webcast, which opens with a segment featuring a depredation advocate.

Read a Pascack Valley Community Life article on oiling in Westwood, Tuesday, April 21. Very enthusiastic group of newly trained volunteers in Westwood.

And today, NBC will be covering GeesePeace volunteers oiling in the Saddle River County Park/Otto Pehle Area.

Saddle River County Park/Otto Pehle and Rochelle Park Update

Carla Marcus, a producer for MSNBC, shot some footage of GeesePeace volunteers in action down in Saddle Brook yesterday. The footage will be archived for potential use in future stories about geese, most likely in connection with aircraft "bird strikes," but no segment planned specifically on our work here. In the photo above, Carla is speaking with Peter Both, director of the McFaul Environmental Center in Wyckoff.

26 More Eggs in Seven New Nests

Thanks to Pam Perron and first-timer Penny Boag, who joined Diana Wing, Peter Both and Greg Ulscht to oil eggs in seven new nests Greg located earlier in the week during his daily walks around the park.

Total in these areas to date: 157 eggs in 40 nests. And we're not done yet!

Jane's Excellent Adventure

2009-04-21T08:30:00.003-04:00

Jane's excellent egg-oiling adventure crisscrosses Bergen and Passaic Counties.

Last week, Jane sent me a list of the sites she had investigated and patrolled to date, with precise details on nest locations and the number of eggs oiled in each nest. I took a quick glance at it then, but last night I read through the list more thoroughly. I can't believe how many areas Jane has visited throughout Bergen and Passaic counties.

As of April 16, when she sent me the list, Jane had visited 28 general locations from Mahwah in the north down to Lyndhurst in the south, and from Oakland in the west across to Westwood in the east. Within that expanse, Jane had oiled 304 eggs in 69 nests. Wow.

I've decided a graphical representation is the best way to convey the scope of Jane's adventure. We begin at 445 Godwin Avenue, Midland Park, where she has treated several nests around the pond behind the skateboard park. Want to follow along? Just follow the blue line! Or you can read Jane's report.

Saddle River County Park/Pehle Area Update

Greg and I went back to the Parkway side of the Saddle River County Park in Saddle Brook this morning and oiled 35 more eggs in eight new nests, with one nest under construction. That brings the total to 131 eggs in 33 nests in the contiguous Saddle Brook and Rochelle Park areas. View updated map.

Goose Paradise Found, Mystery Solved

2009-04-16T17:54:00.010-04:00

Pond and island at end of Emerald Court in Paramus.

PARAMUS, NJ--For the past two years, dedicated GeesePeace volunteers have diligently patrolled along the Saddle River in the Saddle River County Park Wild Duck Pond area between Linwood and East Ridgewood avenues. Nests were found, eggs oiled. Yet each May, much to our collective frustration, goslings would mysteriously appear. Where did they come from?

Mystery Solved

Across the river from the Duck Pond is Emerald Court, a cul-de-sac off Paramus Road. At the end of that cul-de-sac is Goose Paradise--a small but fairly deep pond with an island in it. And like the origins of our current conflict with resident Canada geese, this particular Goose Paradise is entirely man-made. The developers couldn't have built a more welcoming habitat for the geese that have overrun this neighborhood. A deep pond with an island, surrounded by a smorgasbord of meticulously manicured lawns, and well protected by a 5' retaining wall ringing its circumference. All around the bottom of that retaining wall is a rocky ledge that's just wide enough for, you guessed it, Canada goose nests.

So each year, new goslings are born here and their parents lead them down to the county park. But wait--how do they get out of the pond? No way they can scale that 5' retaining wall. The answer? A large drainage pipe that leads from the pond right down into the river. The geese, one of the homeowners explained to me, simply waddle down through that pipe and come out the other end! Nature finds a way.

21 Eggs in Five Nests

After a call from the aforementioned homeowner, who learned about us after reading Mike Kerwick's article in last Sunday's Bergen Record, Diana and Walter Perog and I went over and treated 5 nests. One was on the island, which is easily accessible via a newly built bridge. Three nests were down on the rocky ledge at the bottom of the retaining wall; a ladder was needed to get down to those. The last nest was right up against another homeowners house, just a few feet from his pool. Needless to say, the homeowners were extremely grateful, and now know to call us whenever they see a nest appear.

View a brief slideshow.

Rochelle Park Update

Yesterday I reported on progress we're making in the Saddle Brook and Rochelle Park areas of the Saddle River County Park. Greg and I went back to Rochelle Park this morning, to treat nests spotted on the west bank of the river. We oiled 22 more eggs in four nests. Two nests were out on an island that didn't seem accessible looking at if from the east bank. Fortunately, the water was shallower on the west side, so we were able to wade out.

To date we have oiled 96 eggs in the Saddle Brook and Rochelle Park areas, with more to go.

More Work Done, More to Do in Saddle Brook/Rochelle Park

2009-04-15T13:25:00.007-04:00

Nest locations as of 4/15/09 in Saddle River County Park Pehle Area (Saddle Brook) and Rochelle Park Area

SADDLE BROOK and ROCHELLE PARK, NJ--Greg, Naomi and I woke up early this morning to treat new nests Greg located in the Saddle River County Park/Pehle area, and several others down in the Rochelle Park area. We treated 44 eggs in nine nests. One nest was out in the river on a pile of debris that has built up alongside a fallen tree. We had to climb out on the tree to access the nest. Greg sank through some loose debris and got a bootful of mucky water. Two other nests were out on islands, but luckily the water was shallow and we were able to wade out to oil the eggs. However, we saw four other nests on islands that are inaccessible without a boat; we may have to just let those go.

More work to be done here. Tomorrow, Greg and I will go back to Rochelle Park to treat several nests we saw on the opposite (west) side of the river. Also Greg has spotted a few new nests on the east side of the river across from the Pehle area, accessible via Cali Mack parking lot off Paramus Road.

To date we have treated 74 eggs in 16 nests in the Pehle and Rochelle Park areas of Saddle River County Park. I'm sure we'll oil well over 100 by the time we're done.

Publicity Paying Off

I have received two phone calls as a result of last Sunday's Bergen Record article. One was from a woman who wanted to get involved with GeesePeace, and she has signed up for training being offered tomorrow night in Westwood.

Another was from a resident who lives on Emerald Court in Paramus, a cul-de-sac off Paramus Road across the Saddle River from the Ridgewood Duck Pond. There's a small pond at the end of the cul-de-sac that we've known about since last year. Geese are nesting on a small island in the middle of the pond, which is very difficult to access due to high retaining walls and deep water. But the resident who called said he has waders, so I'll run over there this afternoon to check things out.

Intrepid Oilers

2009-04-13T11:24:00.005-04:00

Monday, April 13:

Andy Lowry and Ellie Gruber treated a total of 48 eggs at two locations: The Northwest Bergen CountyUtilities Authority (NBCUA) in Waldwick, and the island between Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club and the NBCUA, which can only be accessed by a flat bottomed boat. This short trip is not for the faint at heart, by the way.

The NBCUA has been very helpful, they provide an employee to row us over to the island, where Andy hacks through the brambles with a clippers, and we crawl through the thick underbrush and muck to oil our eggs. There is hardly room to open an umbrella, but we do it!

There were 5 nests on the actual property, with more coming, from the looks of it. On the island, there were 7 more. But some of the nests only had 3 eggs, or 4, so we will return next Monday.

Ellie Gruber

In the News

2009-04-13T07:42:00.002-04:00

Bergen Record staff writer Mike Kerwick wrote an excellent article about our efforts down in Saddle Brook last Saturday, at the Saddle River County Park/Pehle Area. Some of the comments were a little harsh, though.

Read the article.

Read the comments.

The readers who called us "morons" and "slime bucket" don't get it. With no natural predators or hunting in our towns, if we do nothing the goose population will continue to grow exponentially--and at some point local governments will be forced to deal with the issue using lethal methods.

Let's face it. At one extreme we have people who want to simply round up and kill the geese. At the other extreme are those who want to leave the geese alone entirely. I for one do not advocate depredations, and am proud of our efforts to keep the population under control using nonlethal methods, which are endorsed by the Humane Society of the United States and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

184 Eggs Oiled on Woodcliff Lake Island

2009-04-11T15:42:00.004-04:00

WOODCLIFF LAKE, NJ--Wow, 184 eggs in 42 nests on this United Water property. Good job Diana, Jane, Ray and others!

30 Eggs Oiled at Saddle River County Park/Pehle Area

2009-04-11T09:00:00.019-04:00

Nests located and treated Saturday, 4/11/09, at Saddle River County Park/Pehle Area

SADDLE BROOK, NJ--This morning Greg Ulscht and I treated 30 eggs found in seven nests along the duck pond and Saddle River in the Saddle River County Park/Otto Pehle Area. Michael Kerwick, a reporter for the Bergen Record, accompanied us and is writing an article to appear in tomorrow's Sunday edition.

Only one pair of geese was difficult to coax away from their nest (Pehle Area 1 on map above). All the others were fairly mild mannered and easily chased away.

The mother at Pehle Area 3 got no help from her mate, who was nowhere to be seen while were oiling and didn't show up until after we had completed our work and had retreated. After we retreat, usually the mother immediately goes back to her nest. In this case, she rushed toward her late-arriving mate, honking away. She appeared to be scolding him for not being there to help protect the nest. Kind of humorous.

We've got plenty more work to do here. We saw a few more nests on the opposite bank of the river, and Greg has located a few more downstream in the Rochelle Park Area. We will go back early next week.

First Nests Treated in 2009

2009-04-08T20:56:00.008-04:00

Location of first nest treated in Ridgewood, 2009.

RIDGEWOOD, NJ--And we're off. The 2009 nesting season is underway, and to date two nests have been treated in Ridgewood: the one shown on the map above and another behind the grandstand at RHS stadium field.

Ridgewood volunteers have also treated one nest in Fair Lawn this week.

Big weekend ahead, as volunteers from several towns will tackle Saddle Brook Park/Pehle Area, where 10 nests have been located. I'll plot the locations when we're done oiling Saturday.

UPDATE: Border Collies on School Property? YES!

2008-07-24T13:30:00.000-04:00

Photo Credit: Kirk Condyles for The New York Times

UPDATE: Today I received word that the Ridgewood Board of Education has granted authorized volunteer resident border collie owners permission to flush geese from school property with their dogs following the GeesePeace protocol.

I will be meeting with Mr. Angelo DeSimone, the Business Administrator for Ridgewood Public Schools, to iron out last details. The geese are still in their molt cycle, but they'll be flying again soon--perhaps as soon as next week, early August latest. As soon as they take to the air again we'll be ready to chase them from Stevens and RHS Stadium fields. Not enough volunteers yet to cover the remaining BOE properties, but I'll be working on that. All volunteers welcome. Don't need a dog to help; the dog handlers need helpers! Contact me if you're interested in helping out. View my profile on this page for contact information.

Stay tuned.

ORIGINAL POST ON THIS TOPIC FROM APRIL 2008:

Great news: Angelo DeSimone, Business Administrator for Ridgewood Public Schools, asked me to present the GeesePeace program at the Board of Education meeting held Monday, April 7. I first met with Mr. DeSimone April 3, at the request of Steven Tichenor, Manager of Maintenance and Custodial Services, who attended our March 27 training session. After Steven and I presented the GeesePeace program to Mr. DeSimone, he was in full favor of allowing resident volunteer border collie owners to flush geese from our school fields, but needed to get the Board's approval.

At the April 7 meeting, the Board unanimously passed a resolution authorizing trained GeesePeace volunteers to oil eggs on school properties, and tentatively agreed to allow residents to put their dogs to work after nesting season, which ends around first week of May. What I need to do now is reach out to the half dozen or so border collie owners who raised their hands last year, and come up with a plan which I will present to the Board at its next meeting April 28.

I can't tell you how huge this will be if we can make this work. Many of you know that the Village will not allow us to use border collies on its property. But if we succeed on the distinct BOE properties this year, maybe the Village will take notice and either authorize volunteers to work its properties next year, or better still purchase a Village dog and hire a professional handler for next year.

Together we can make this work. Consider the GeesePeace success story in Oyster Bay, NY. I stumbled across this New York Times article while searching for an image of dogs flushing geese:

“The results have been amazing,” said Eric Swenson, Oyster Bay superintendent of environmental control. “We have our schools virtually free of goose problems. No one wants their kid tackled on a football field full of goose droppings.”

The article is worth a read. Good stuff including a concise history of the suburban goose problem and the origin of the GeesePeace 60-mile strategy for the NY Metropolitan area.

Meanwhile, stay tuned for updates on our own border collie program!

GeesePeace in Bill Ervolino Column

2008-05-16T08:25:00.002-04:00

Turning Goose Eggs Into Zeros Shouldn't Be Hard, Right?

In case you missed it, that's the title of the column we've all been waiting for since columnist Bill Ervolino went oiling with Jane over a month ago. The column appeared in the Bergen Record, on May 15, and you can read it here.

Here's an excerpt:

It was a damp, chilly day, and Morales had pinpointed three nests of eggs we could oil around the pond behind 445 Godwin Ave. With us were her husband, Luis, and Ben Mena, another Midland Park resident and Geese Peace volunteer.

Together, we tiptoed into the quiet woods around the pond in search of nests, trudging through mud and thorny bushes like Elmer Fudd, huntin' wabbits.

I was carrying a bottle of corn oil and a cobalt blue umbrella. Mena had his own umbrella and a pair of nasty-looking pliers. I knew the umbrellas are used to scare the parents away from the nest. But ...

"Pliers?" I whispered.

"In case one of the geese bites you," Mena replied. "I'll need them to pry the bill off your leg."
"Terrific," I murmured, as another errant branch hit me in the face."

Mud and muck? Goose bills clamped onto your legs? Errant branches hitting your face? Poison ivy? Black bears? Bring it on!

Goose Defeats Border Collie

2008-04-25T06:00:00.002-04:00

Click image to watch this 1941 classic via Google Video.

So last week I encountered an immovable goose here, and vowed to return.

Yesterday, I did return—with Jane and our new friend Kim, along with Kim's border collie mix, Riley. Superior firepower to be sure. Or so I thought.

I anticipated that mother goose would hop right off that nest as soon as she caught sight of Riley. But quite to the contrary, she just laid low in her nest and stared him down. I had a sinking feeling, as I clamored down the embankment to fetch my pail of water, that we were not going to succeed.

Jane approached first with the umbrella, and then Riley was brought forward. But the goose stood her ground. I think Riley was more afraid of her, bless his gentle soul.

Ultimately, Jane succeeded in using her umbrella to create a paper-thin shield between mother and nest, just long enough for me to snatch one egg for testing. It bobbed and floated right to the surface, so I put it back and we retreated—humbled by one tough old bird. My hat's off to her. Especially as she was all alone in this encounter. Papa was nowhere to be seen.

But I guess that's what's so cool about nature, and in a sense encouraging for all the underdogs of the world. Sometimes the tortoise beats the hare.

What a Weekend: Over 300 Eggs Oiled!

2008-04-23T06:00:00.003-04:00

Photos courtesy of Gregory Ulscht

GeesePeacers were out in force last weekend, oiling eggs all over Bergen County from Saddle Brook to Woodcliff Lake. My unofficial tally, based on reports from the field, is 343 eggs oiled between Friday, April 18 and Tuesday, April 22!

Over the Weekend in Ridgewood

In Ridgewood alone, volunteers oiled 46 eggs in 11 nests, including the nest on the roof of Somerville School. By my count, volunteers have oiled 73 eggs in 13 nests to date within Ridgewood's borders. See map here. (Note: Some of the nests indicated on this map are in Paramus and other neighboring towns; these are not included in the Ridgewood tally.)

Sunday Morning in Saddle Brook

On Sunday, April 20, Diana Perog and I teamed with Greg Ulscht and Naomi Gamorra, two volunteers from Waldwick and Glen Rock, to oil eggs at the Saddle Brook County Park/Pehle Area in Saddle Brook. See map here. Greg, who is an outdoor photography hobbyist, took the photos shown in this post. (See his Website here and link directly to his GeesePeace gallery here.) And Naomi is largely responsible for where we are today; she wrote the published essay about GeesePeace that caught Diana Wing's attention, resulting in Diana taking point in bringing GeesePeace to Ridgewood and throughout the region.

We met at 6:30 a.m. in the Pehle Area parking lot. Greg had already scoped out 8 nest locations along the east bank of the pond, and several nest locations on both sides of the Saddle River. Some of the nests along the pond were difficult to access, as they were well protected by vines and brush. But we got to them all, and for the most part the geese were easily coaxed off their nests.

The fun began when we reached the nests located on the river, three of which were built on islands. None of us had waders or even waterproof boots, and Greg and I were pretty much resigned to passing on the island nests. Diana and Naomi, on the other hand, were undeterred. Without the slightest hesitation, the two oilers walked right out into the water, shoes and all. Since Greg and I were the umbrellamen, we had no choice but to follow their lead. So we sort of looked at each other and agreed, "Looks like we're getting wet."

At the end of the morning, we tallied everything up: 56 eggs in 15 nests!

Tuesday Morning in Woodcliff Lake: Jane and Ray Hit the Jackpot!

Tuesday morning, I found this email message from Ray Cywinski in my inbox:

Jane Morales and I went out to the island in the Woodcliff Lake Reservoir (United Water New Jersey property) this morning. Here is a summary of our activities:
No. of Nests Treated: 49
No. of Eggs Oiled: 167

Ray also noted that 20 eggs floated, and so were left untreated, and that they saw two geese protecting 7-10 goslings. But 167 eggs oiled in a single outing? WOW!

I don't know the exact formula, but this is a fact: thanks to our efforts over this weekend alone, there will be a few thousand fewer geese in our area in eight years than there would have been absent the GeesePeace program. Congratulations and thank you all on a great job!

14 Nests in Ridgewood and Counting

2008-04-18T06:10:00.000-04:00

Click here to see known nests in Ridgewood as of today. Out of the 14 known nests, 9 have been treated with a total of 55 eggs! Know of any nests I don't have marked here? Let me know.

Meanwhile, Jane is maintaining a map for Midland Park and other areas she is patrolling, from Van Saun Park up to Don Bosco! 10 active nests discovered so far, of which 9 have been treated with a total of 47 eggs. Check it out.

Jane is out and about all over the place, as you can see, and can use some help. If you want to see some action, contact me and I'll put you in touch with her.

I Shall Return

2008-04-18T06:00:00.002-04:00

Three of us went out yesterday to treat two nests on the Paramus side of the Saddle River, both in the Wild Duck Pond area that runs from the Ridgewood Duck Pond to Dunkerhook. In both cases ... denied!

I've run into some protective geese before, but the tough old bird pictured at right was immovable. The nest location is across the river from mile marker 0.6 on the bike path, which is approximately at the terminus of McGuire Court in Ridgewood. Not even gentle yet forceful nudging by two determined umbrellamen could persuade her to leave. She simply folded in her wings and burrowed down low on the nest. After several attempts, we grudgingly accepted defeat and headed for the second nest about a mile downstream, behind Paramus Catholic.

I noticed this second nest, pictured at left, earlier in the day while jogging down the bike path. It looked accessible enough from across the river, but when we arrived we found that the nest was very well protected by an escarpment and thorn bushes all around, with little or no room to maneuver. I plan to go back over the weekend with some pruning shears! I just hope after all that, she is more easily coaxed off her nest than the first one.

After being denied for the second time, our staff photographer David Grant captured me, against my will, slinking back to my car—a portrait of a man defeated. (Note: the gaping tear in my shorts leg was not inflicted by the geese!) As I pondered our failed attempts, my once unquestioned skills and abilities suddenly in doubt, I tried to think of a way to get that first goose off her nest. Then it hit me: visit her again with the superior firepower of a border collie. And so with my pride restored, having so clearly outsmarted a creature with a brain the size of chick pea, I vowed to return.

So if any of you border collie owners would like to help persuade that goose off her nest, please contact me. To get to the nest, it's a half-mile walk through the woods each way.

UPDATE: Jane has also reported an immovable goose, in Midland Park. So we could use some help from a border collie there as well.

Three Active Nests Found, 15 Eggs Oiled at Sewage Treatment Plant

2008-04-07T22:00:00.000-04:00

Sentinel keeping watch just above dam at Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club.

Our intrepid oiler Ellie Gruber, working with Andy Lowry, reports success at the NBCUA plant with access to a boat to the Upper Ridgewood Island:

Andy Lowry and Ellie Gruber had great success this a.m.; already there were three active nests, with a total of 15 eggs oiled, at the NBCUA (Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority, aka sewerage) plant in Waldwick. These nests are in plain sight, on top of rocks, and next to roadways. There is also one sentinel high up on a building on the property. The geese have been there for years, apparently. The director of the NBCUA was extremely helpful and his workers will keep an eye out and call us.

There are at least 5 more nests to go, as the geese are pairing up and starting to build.

Although not in Ridgewood, this plant has direct access to the island in the middle of the HoHoKus Brook (see photo of geese pairing on island above right), next to the Upper Ridgewood Tennis Club which had over 5 nests last year which we oiled before the big flood. We will go back in 10 days to see. The Utilities Authority has agreed to let us use their boat to get to the island. There are a couple of pairings on the island, and one nest built on a pile of sticks (see photo left) right next to the dam, too dangerous to go, as there will be no way to get her off the nest without us getting washed over the dam. I'm praying for a heavy rain to wash them away, however.

Ellie G.

Resident Geese Will Molt Migrate

2008-04-07T07:51:00.008-04:00

A new study conducted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and published in the February 2008 issue of Journal of Wildlife Management reveals that "resident" Canada geese that fail to produce offspring will molt migrate to Canada.

The Michigan study, titled Movements and Survival of Molt Migrant Canada Geese in Southern Michigan, took place between 2000 and 2003. The authors destroyed the nests of 168 radiomarked females by removing eggs after day 14 of incubation, and left nests of 82 incubating hens undisturbed after capture and marking. Of females whose nests were experimentally destroyed, 80% subsequently migrated from breeding areas to James Bay and other areas of Canada.

Nest destruction can induce molt migration, increase hunting mortality of geese returning from molting areas, and reduce human–goose conflicts, but managers also should consider potential impacts of increasing numbers of molt migrants on populations of subarctic nesting Canada geese.

The GeesePeace protocol calls for oiling eggs as opposed to destroying nests, but the effect is the same: with no goslings to tether them to their breeding area, "resident" geese will migrate north. In addition to having fewer geese on our fields and in our parks during the Summer, the migrating geese will be exposed to hunting along migratory routes, which may reduce the number of geese returning in the fall.

If you're interested in reading the study, download a copy here.

New Ridgewood GeesePeace Web Site

2008-04-05T17:11:00.007-04:00

Looking for GeesePeace forms, documents, images or video?

Visit the new online Ridgewood GeesePeace Resource Center.

Ran out of Authorization Forms needed to oil eggs on private property? Need another copy of the GeesePeace Field Guide? Want to view the GeesePeace Training Video? Just click here to find and download whatever you need.

Can You Say "Goose" in the Lenni Lenape?

2008-03-31T07:15:00.004-04:00

Terrain map showing location of geese spotted at Campgaw Mountain Reservation.

My daughter and I went on a reconnaissance mission at Campgaw Mountain Reservation Saturday afternoon. There is a lake with a dam below the ski area parking lot, and I thought we'd find lots of geese there. We parked in the lot, climbed down the hill to the northwest corner of the lake and started our 0.7-mile hike around its circumference on the Hemlock Trail. (Trail Map here in pdf.)

After only a few minutes we spotted the pair of geese pictured at left, swimming close to shore along the western edge of the lake just below a large sign identifying the Hemlock Trail. They calmly paddled away from us as we approached, so I know they haven't nested yet. But I'll check back later this week to see how they are doing.

As we continued our trek through the woods we soon realized that those first two geese were the only ones on or around the lake. Which is kind of ironic when you consider this: to the Lenni Lenape, "campgaw" meant "goose!"

When David Feld conducted training at The Stable last Thursday night, he made an interesting point to the new trainees. In addition to performing a valuable public service, one of the benefits of GeesePeace participation is that you get outside and interact with nature. You go places you might not otherwise go, and do things you might not otherwise do. I have found that I am more observant of my surroundings when seeking goose nests than when taking a casual stroll through the woods, and observation leads to discovery--such as the origin of the name "Campgaw." Having spent so much time skiing there as a kid, hiking its trails as a teenager, teaching my own kids to ski and more recently playing the awesome disc golf course there, surely I must have wondered from time to time where Campgaw got its name. But I was never curious enough to find out. Then last Saturday, as my daughter and I reached the southern tip of the lake, we came across the sign pictured above. Who knew?

But I digress.

Back to the scarcity of geese at Campgaw. At the time, I didn't give much thought as to why there was only one pair of geese on that big lake. But on the drive home, my daughter noticed several pair waddling around little Cooks Pond in Franklin Lakes, which is right on Pulis Avenue just west of Wyckoff Avenue. I wondered why the geese would prefer this noisy and relatively cramped space along a hazardous thoroughfare when they could be enjoying the serenity and expanse of a much larger water refuge at nearby Campgaw? Then it dawned on me: there's no grass around the lake at Campgaw. But there was plenty of meticulously manicured (albeit poop littered) lawn surrounding the pond on Pulis Ave.

Just so happens, on Sunday our intrepid volunteer Jane Morales patrolled the lower lake at Ramapo Reservation. And guess what: she found zero geese. In an email to me, she wrote that there was almost no grass to be found anywhere at Ramapo.

So while I'm out looking for nests, even in the thickest of woods, I'll be a little more alert for areas that have at least little patches of grass nearby.

Over 100 New GeesePeace Volunteers Trained in Ridgewood

2008-03-31T07:00:00.002-04:00

GeesePeace founder David Feld and Diana at Village Hall Comunity Center,
demonstrating how to addle eggs following the humane GeesePeace protocol.

Turnout was high at two GeesePeace training sessions held in Ridgewood on March 27. Over 100 volunteers from all over Bergen, Passaic, Hudson and Sussex counties in New Jersey, and Rockland County in New York, attended an afternoon session at Village Hall and an evening session at The Stable.

Ridgewood more than doubled its roster of volunteers, which grew from 16 last year to 35 this year. We certainly have enough people to continue the success we experienced in the Village last year, and expand out to cover our Bergen County parks and golf courses. Diana and Jim are working on assignments week of March 31. Time is of the essence, as we have already discovered and treated one active nest in town.

A big "Thank You" to Captain John LiPuma of the Ridgewood Police Department, who arranged for an officer to assist with parking, particularly at The Stable where the small lot overflowed its capacity quickly.

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2008-03-30T11:00:00.000-04:00

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First Eggs Oiled in 2008

2008-03-29T19:00:00.006-04:00

The two geese at 223 Burnside got busy early it seems. After a call from the homeowner on March 25, Barbara and Diana investigated and found a nest with seven eggs—the first oiled this season. So we're off and running.

Goose Patrol, please let me know when you spot a nest, and give me the most precise location as you can so I can plot on the 2008 map.

You can view the 2007 map here.

Oh, and remember to bring a camera with you when you patrol! Send me photos and/or video of oilers in action, your geese, the location—anything. I can post to the blog and add to the marked map locations.

Ridgewood GeesePeace Volunteer Kickoff 2008

2008-02-26T09:35:00.011-05:00

Ridgewood GeesePeace kicked off its 2008 efforts last week at The Stable. But before I recap our meeting, take a look at the map above. The blue markers pinpoint the locations of the nests we treated in Ridgewood last year -- 26 by my count. In those 26 nests were a total of 181 eggs. And if those 181 eggs had hatched, even with a 60% attrition rate there would have been 4,860 more geese in and around Ridgewood in just eight years. Clearly, we're making a difference.

You can view the interactive map here; click on the markers for details on each nest location, such as number of eggs and other relevant information. Note to Ridgewood volunteers: We can add as much detail as we want to the location notes, including photos and video. So when you're out there this year, take notes and bring along a cameraman! Send me funny anecdotes, photos, video, anything you like--and I'll upload to the map. It's a cool way to create a permanent record of our efforts, and it's easy to share with others.

2008 Kickoff Meeting Recap

One indication of the success of our efforts last year is that all volunteers have signed on again for this year. We're a committed group, and it's a pleasure to be working with you all again.

At Monday's meeting, I returned the tax maps we used to plot nest locations in our assigned areas. If you could not attend, I'll be in touch to get your map back to you. Should be easier to find nests this year, as we know the geese will nest in the approximate same area.

Other items we discussed:

Diana and Jim presented GeesePeace program at Somerville HSA meeting, with goal to recruit new volunteers to help as we expand to cover Bergen County Parks
David Feld back at The Stable March 27 for 2008 GeesePeace training
SuperScience Saturday, March 8--Diana and Jim will be present to showcase GeesePeace and our efforts last year
Diana and David Feld to participate in a panel discussion sponsored by the NE NJ Watershed Alliance on on Canada Geese, their potential effects on the environment and the pros & cons of control methods. Tuesday, March 4, 7:00-9:00 pm, Bergen County Community Services Building, 327 East Ridgewood Avenue, Paramus. All welcome to attend!
Border collie included in Village 2008 budget request
New feature of this blog--in case you haven't noticed, there is a new calendar of events on the right-hand side