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March 30, 2015 - 2:32 PM
OKANAGAN – There are approximately 2,500 geese living in the Okanagan year round, but without the efforts of the Okanagan Valley Goose Management Program that number would be much higher.
“What many people fail to understand, and a large part of the message that we want to provide, is that the geese we are targeting are not native species to the area,” project coordinator Kate Hagmeier says in a media release. “These geese are largely descendants of geese that were translocated here as part of an introduction program in the 1960s and 70s. Young geese and eggs were brought here from different areas in Canada to encourage the creation of an Okanagan goose population.”
For the ninth year in a row, the group will conduct its egg addling program, a process of making eggs non-viable by either shaking or coating with corn oil. Trained contractors have already been searching for pairs and nesting sites and hope to complete the addling program by mid-May.
“Once addled, eggs are returned to the nest,” she says in the release. “Geese continue to incubate until they realize the eggs will not hatch. At this point, it is generally too late in the year to produce more eggs. Adults are not harmed and will continue with their regular life cycle.”
All the regional governments in the Okanagan, and many of the municipal governments, help pay for the goose management effort.
Since the program started eight years ago more than 10,000 eggs have been addled, which translates into roughly 7,500 fewer geese in the Okanagan. The program also entails a nest locating component and goose population surveys.
Key to the success of the program is finding new nests and the public is asked to report lone geese, pairs of geese, or nest locations on private or public land by emailing coordinator@okanagangooseplan.com or calling 1-877-943-3209.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015