A petition on change.org has been circulating social media for months, hoping to make real change concerning the Denver goose population. But so far, to no avail.
The problem with spending a typical day at Wash Park -- or any other area park, for that matter -- is that it often ends in soiled, goose-poopy shoes. I don't know how many times I've pictured an idyllic family picnic in the park only to get there and be hit with a large greenish-white dose of reality: the geese like picnics in the parks, too. A group called Front Range Colorado Voters and Property Owners was simply fed up with this crap and set out several months ago to see what could be done. Finding that Denver Parks and Recreation had no real long-term plan for managing the overwhelming goose population (it's increased from 5,000 non-migratory geese in 2000 to more than 20,000 today), they set up a petition on change.org. [gallery type="rectangular" size="medium" ids="31478,31479,31483"]
As stated on the petition, the group's intent is "To see the parks and open spaces of Denver and the surrounding region returned to a healthy, sustainable habitat by managing the non-migratory Canada Geese that have overpopulated and are causing health, safety, and quality-of-life problems."
We get it. Goose poop can be full of bacteria and parasites that can be harmful to humans. In fact, a study of goose feces in Fort Collins showed that E. coli was present in 16 percent of the samples tested. But in addition to all that, it's just plain gross. Not to mention, sometimes geese can be aggressive (in my desk-mate kshriver's terrifying personal experience!)!
"The parks and surrounding communities are becoming overrun, unsustainable, degraded in value and utility, and ground zero for public health hazards," the petition continues. "Inaction will exacerbate these harmful impacts and increase costs to taxpayers to remediate conditions in the future."So what do they recommend? Well, their plan is two-fold. First, they want Denver to figure out how many flocks of Canada geese the city's parks can feasibly support. Then, second, they want the city to take steps that ensure that the flocks don't go over-capacity. [gallery type="rectangular" size="medium" ids="31481,31480"] To be clear, the petition does not address management or clean-up of the actual goose poop. But the general thought is that if the goose population were under control, the goose poop dilemma would gradually take care of itself. Despite the petition's original deadline of December 2017, the petition has only garnered fewer than 1,000 signatures so far. Click here to add your signature and support! So what do you think? Is this a cause you can get behind? (hehe ...) Do you have any other suggestions for flock management or goose poop control? We'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and opinions in the comments below!
