The Town of Hyde Park is inviting local residents to attend an informational meeting on the increasing Canadian geese population in the area on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at Hackett Hill Park.
Populations of resident Canada geese have increased in recent years and their presence has become an increasing source of concern for public health and safety. Abundant lakes and ponds, expanses of short grass, lack of natural predators, limited hunting and supplemental feeding have all contributed to the sharp rise in Dutchess County’s resident geese population.
To address this issue, the Town of Hyde Park is investigating collaborative effort methods of using the GeesePeace model (www.geesepeace.org) to stabilize the resident Canada geese population. This effort will be a multi-year effort including egg oiling, a practice endorsed by the Humane Society; habitat modifications and site aversion, so the numbers of geese are in balance with other wildlife and no longer pose a significant problem.
Since geese do not understand property boundaries and may nest in one area but walk or fly to other near by water sources, this management effort will require cooperation and assistance of all area property owners and community volunteers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allow the Town of Hyde Park to register all the lands in the town, then with the permission of landowners, volunteers can go out during nesting season in April and May to search for nests and oil the eggs so that they do not hatch. This method is being used in many areas in the United States including Oyster Bay, Greenwich, Conn. and coastal boroughs in New Jersey.
Hyde Park land owners, land managers, neighborhood association members, groundskeepers, golf course superintendents, sports clubs and any volunteers over the age of 18 interested in this project are invited to come to a meeting at Hackett Hill on Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. to learn more about how the community can work together to solve this problem. Owners of property along the Hudson, Falkill, Crum Elbow and ponds and lakes are especially invited to attend. For more information, contact Kathleen Davis at Hyde Park Recreation, 229-8086, ext. 5.
In addition to the Feb. 28 meeting, there will be a free training provided by officials from the nonprofit organization GeesePeace at the Norrie Point Environmental Center on Wednesday, March 12 from either 1-3 p.m. or 7-9 p.m.
Information will be presented on how to locate nests, oil eggs, safely interact with geese and when to conduct an egg-oiling program. The new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations and reporting forms will be reviewed and distributed. The training will help participants prepare to take action in the spring nesting season. Since geese live for up to 20 years and return to the general area of their birth each year to mate and nest, population stabilization is a crucial step in management. The Humane Society has approved the GeesePeace protocols. To register, contact Laura Weyeneth at 889-4745, ext. 115 or laweyene@gw.dec.state.ny.us or fax the time of choice and your contact information to 889-4749.
Information on managing nuisance Canada geese can also be found by visiting http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7003.html or by calling 256-3098.
Information on resident Canada goose registration can be found at https://epermits.fws.gov/eRCGR/geSI.aspx.