The issue
Canada geese are an example of the ultimate visitor who may have stayed at the party too long. State government officials are considering substantially culling a population of geese estimated at a quarter million. They might do well to consider what some crow as a success story in Brighton for humanely dealing with the problems caused by Canada geese.
The past
It will be tough for anyone to forget about the geese that took over the pond in the Lac de Ville neighborhood about 10 years ago. The birds, which also took over two town parks, pooped all over the sidewalks in this walkable community, and posed threats to motorists as they waddled about like they owned the place. “It did get excessive and bothered a lot of our neighbors,” remembered Louis Andolino, whose home looks out over the pond. “We wanted a humane solution to our problem.”
The present
Today, ducks do swim about the pond, but geese are, for the most part, elsewhere. Several months of meetings involving residents, town staff, and state conservation officials produced a multi-faceted approach to geese control, said Brighton Councilman Jim Vogel. Geese were the cause celebre a decade ago, but he said he has not heard of a complaint in the last four years.
The future
Problem solved, yes, but Brighton has to keep at it. The town planted cattails and perennials to disrupt the flight path of the birds, and posted signs discouraging humans from feeding them. Animal control officers like David Ewell coat new goose eggs with corn oil every April to prevent hatching. The town also contracts for border collies to be walked around the waters to scare the birds away. As many as 40 birds made Lac de Ville home at the height of the problem; today, maybe a half dozen do, Ewell said.
