The Jones campus lake is a fixture to student life, even more so for the Canada goose. Learning how to conscientiously share a green space is mutually beneficial for both student and goose.
While it is more common to see flocks of geese in the migratory seasons, Mississippi has year-round residents that may frequent Ellisville at any time. These visits can cause conflicts of interest, such as boisterous flocks on footpaths and blatant disregard of crosswalk rules. There are a couple of ways to ensure peace with our nomadic neighbors.
Despite a suffering reputation for being hostile, geese do not want to antagonize anything larger than them. Hostility is a precautionary behavior to protect itself, the flock, and most commonly during nesting in the spring. Signs of an aggravated goose is hissing, head lowered, and wings beating as they quickly approach.
When geese need to cross roads, drivers should slow and restrain from using their horn. The blare of a car could cause two reactions, panic or provocation. If a goose feels provoked, they may charge the vehicle, especially if their reflection on the fender looks like a rival goose. These hazards can be avoided by navigating campus mindfully.
Extreme behaviors are few and far between. Students can do their part by keeping a distance of 20 feet minimum. As long as the geese feel like they have water to swim away, they often opt to waddle off before challenging students on a morning jog.
While some may keep this avian relationship at an appropriate distance, other animal lovers on campus might want to feed them. Feeding wild animals teaches them dependence on humans with risks of malnutrition. If the geese thought they could get a free meal, they might be chasing the coattails of students walking into Jones hall.
On that note, geese may not make the best friends. They are often described as stubborn, lovers of routine and carry a distaste for change. While they are not the college friends you want to make, they are here to stay.
The manicured lawn and still lake attracts Canada geese for nesting and pit stops on their way further north. Short green grasses, like ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass, are the geese’s favorite, being high in nutrients that would keep them on their continental journey. A lake or pond has little current, which is optimal for goslings to take their first swim classes.
While the geese seemed to proliferate today, Canada geese were nearly hunted to extinction in the early 20th century. It was the efforts of wildlife officials and citizen aviculturists that brought their numbers back, with federal protections in later years.
Today, Canada geese number in the millions, and this is partially to do with the citizens that helped their migratory neighbors. Students have a wonderful opportunity to witness and partake in this harmony in a green space like Jones’ lake.
by Katie Patterson
