September 9
...serving up your daily dish.
Say what you want about the geese, but they're not as stupid as some might have hoped. They've acclimated themselves to the haunted pond scene that is Edgemont Park, complete with dead geese and ferocious beasts and they don't seem to care. Seen here swimming in the recent bloom of algae are the intrepid birds who for now are staying put. Thanks to shutterbug Nancy Mehegan for the pix.
REFUND-just got back from the park geesers and poopers everywhere-
You know i was so hoping this would work out for the health and safety of the park
but i'd be asking the people who invented this idea for a REFUND right about now-
Posted by: cstarling | Sep 9, 2005 12:33:26 PM
yes indeed Chris especially if they wind up contracting bird flu.
Posted by: cstarling | Sep 9, 2005 2:32:53 PM
There is ample evidence that goose poop can breed coccidoisis,
avian influenza, schistosomes, chlamydiosis, salmonella, and
avian cholera.
As a recent university publication points out:
Public health and safety risks are a growing concern with Canada
geese. A large population of geese that frequents a lawn, a golf
course, or an agricultural field can leave behind an unpleasant mess.
Studies have shown that a well-fed, healthy adult Canada goose can
produce up to 1.5 pounds of fecal matter per day. Where resident goose
populations are sizeable (>100 birds), the continuous influx of
nutrients contained in Canada goose feces can contribute to the
eutrophication of small water bodies, especially those that have
restricted circulation and flow-through, which in turn may stimulate
algae and weed growth. Bacteria and particulate matter contained in
goose feces, when present in sufficient quantity, may lead to the need
for special treatment of drinking water drawn from surface ponds or
reservoirs where geese congregate. Additionally, beaches and other
public areas littered with accumulated goose feces have been closed
due to the contamination or the threat of personal injury resulting
from falls as people lose footing on the slippery material.
Maybe Montclair can get a refund and use the money to hire a certified arborist
Posted by: Cary | Sep 9, 2005 3:31:07 PM
if this program needs more time then-WHY ISN"T ANYBODY CLEANING UP AFTER THEM instead of letting this stuff pile up???-i won't, in the meantime, be going there any more since this doesn't seem to be a real and immediate concern-
-i honestly thought this was pretty cool at first-I was wrong-another band aid to make it appear like something is being done-when in fact it's smoke and mirrors.
Posted by: cstarling | Sep 9, 2005 3:52:16 PM
It's cute and all, but I really wish people would stop feeding the geese and teaching kids to do likewise. This would be the simplest, most effective, and cheapest solution, and yet ... ?
Maybe the police need to start writing tickets!
Posted by: Chris | Sep 9, 2005 5:35:22 PM
Time to rename the park Edgemont Reserve and let it go wild. Put in a few mulch paths and bird blinds and let nature take it's course. When the coyotes and foxes show up you won't have to worry about geese.
Posted by: PAZ | Sep 10, 2005 10:12:44 AM
on a small squale this is exactly the breeding ground for a horror story--across the street is an elementary school--but we didn't take this into account in this years budget--but then it would be Bush's fault as well
Posted by: cstarling | Sep 10, 2005 10:36:54 AM
how bout BLUEWAVE hold one of their protests in edgemnt park--
Posted by: cstarling | Sep 10, 2005 10:46:48 AM
MY GOD, WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN?!!! Won't somebody in this town please protect the children from... err... nature?!!! I bet people don't realize that nature causes more deaths per capita than terrorism, car accidents, drugs, alcohol, murder, abductions, etc. We have seen the enemy, and it is nature. We must get to the bottom of this wildlife epidemic before we're completely overrun. Lord knows it might lead to the spread of bacteria that could kill... oh... just as many of us a year as handling meat with our bare hands or undercooking a turkey.
I hereby move that we replace the grass with a synthetic FieldTurf, install a Plexiglas dome and perhaps some of those fake plastic trees Radiohead sang that song about. It'll just like having a real park, but without any of the inconvenience of nature. Now children will be able to run freely through the park without having to develop the common sense necessary to avoid approaching large packs of birds or touching piles of feces. Who knows, maybe they'll only need one pack of antibacterial wipes to get through the day.
I bet the antibacterial lobby will have none of it. You'll see Johnson & Johnson and SC Johnson operatives sneaking geese into our beloved park dome and pumping polled into the rafters of every gazebo we build. We must remain vigilant and keep the floating coyotes on high alert -- because when we let our guard down for even a moment, the nature has won.
Posted by: Notteham | Sep 10, 2005 11:17:56 AM
SC Johnson's sprawling lawn on Route 1 in North Brunswick has both a huge flock of geese AND the fake coyote.
Posted by: Cheryl | Sep 10, 2005 12:01:00 PM
SEE!!! They're amassing their goose army as we speak!!! It's too late. Our hopes for a sterile environment dashed by those we expected least -- the makers of antibacterial wipes.
Always a step ahead. I bet they're culling a secret stash of pollen as well, so they can spray down plastic playground equipment and get kids all sneezy just in time for the first day of school. Damn them!!!!
Posted by: Notteham | Sep 10, 2005 12:06:30 PM
notteham where do you live-i'll bring my dog over four times a day to bring you some nature
Posted by: cstarling | Sep 10, 2005 12:19:25 PM
funny but what about building a city underwater than when a hurrican hits-it becomes political notteham?
Posted by: cstarling | Sep 10, 2005 12:32:28 PM
New Orleans was built underwater? Like Atlantis? Amazine. How did the citizens breathe? Was it like Sealab? You'd think a hurricane would just pass right over a city built underwater. I don't see anything political about that, although you'd probably need a TON of zoning variances for such a thing and you KNOW the feds are going to want their piece of the pie.
I'll let your dog do its business all over my neighborhood if you come over and walk the geese. Maybe that's the solution... we domesticate the geese and put them on leashes, give them little goose sweaters and carry them in our purses during our trips to the Whole Foods. Hey, maybe we can make little goose boutiques with specialty food and toys for them and send them to goose psychics when we think they're depressed. Oh, the possibilites...
Posted by: Notteham | Sep 10, 2005 1:30:43 PM
