ERICD To Kick Off Resident Canada Geese Egg Oiling Saturday April 16, 2011 in Bristol, RI

2490 Main Road - Tiverton, RI  02878 - Phone (401) 816 - 5667

CONTACT:Jessica Blackledge, Project Manager Eastern RI Conservation District

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in partnership with the RI State Conservation Committee, RI Conservation Districts and the Town of Bristol, RI would like to announce the Kick Off of the Volunteer Goose Force with a Field Training for all people interested in learning and implementing the GeesePeace approved Canada Goose Egg Oiling method.

Resident Canada Geese populations can inflict significant damage in the form of water quality impairment, vegetation loss, and subsequent erosion. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, geese also produce heavy concentrations of fecal droppings which can lead to excess nutrient enrichment of ponds and lakes. The additional nutrients then lead to excessive plant growth such as algae and other nuisance plants. Rapid increases in algae can then limit the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water for other aquatic organisms. Excessive fecal droppings can also contribute to shellfishery and beach closings.  These large, dense geese populations also pose a risk to other species of birds through transmission of avian diseases.

To mitigate effects on water quality, NRCS and ERICD are offering a pilot conservation program to help manage resident Canada goose populations in Newport and Bristol counties.

Volunteers will meet Saturday, April 16, 2011 at the Town Beach in Bristol, RI for a Field Outing at Silver Creek in Bristol, RI. This will be a hands-on training on how to locate Resident Canada Goose nesting sites and perform egg oiling using the GeesePeace approved Canada Goose Egg Oiling method (approved by PETA and the Humane Society). 

Future Field Outings will be held every Saturday until May 21, 2011. Other outing dates will be added as volunteer availability dictates. Outing locations will vary as we will be locating nests in different areas of Bristol and Newport counties over the next few weeks.

Please contact Jessica at (401) 816-5667 or email ericonservationdistrict@yahoo.com to sign up to volunteer or to get more information on this important conservation project and how you, your community or your town can get involved. Also, keep informed of outing dates and locations by viewing the What Grows On in RI calendar at www.whatgrowsonri.com

What:             Volunteer Goose Force Kickoff & Field Training

When:            Saturday, April 16, 2011

Where:           Bristol Town Beach: 2 Beach Road, Bristol, RI 02809

                        Travel to Silver Creek: approx 837 Hope Street, Bristol, RI

Time:             10 AM