~Charles Cook~
The second half of Week 13 can be defined in three words: STUPID CANADA GEESE. You see, I have a very deep and intimate relationship with the Canada Geese of the James. Throughout the first 10 years of my kayaking and rafting career I learned to despise the geese of the James. Kayakers on the James have a long love hate relationship with Canada Geese. You have to understand, these damn birds are not migrating through our little river anymore. The showed up in the 90's when the river started becoming cleaner, and just never left. They cannot be fully blamed for this. We have created the perfect environment here in RVA for them. The grasslands of the James provide them ample food next to a perfect water source (they love rapids and can clean a line as well as any kayaker. Seriously, the geese run the rapids all the time), and the urban environment protects them from most natural predators. Additionally, society's obsession with golf courses doesn't help either. It confuses the geese into thinking they reached Canada. The area they used to migrate to in Northeastern Canada contains large grasslands and few trees next to small ponds.........just like a golf course. (I love to golf, but golf courses are terrible for the environment, which is why I created the game of Island Golf. It's probably the coolest way to ever play golf, kayaking is involved while playing, I have a nine hole course in my front yard, and yes, my country club is free to all. The only membership requirement is that you can handle the Middle Lines in a kayak.....which means we have no Team WAV members. They don't meet the membership requirements. But Island Golf will have its own post to be introduced to the world. This post is about the geese.) Now, where was I?.......So the geese live full time here on the James. They have been doing this for over twenty years, and every year their numbers grow. Unfortunately, they are no longer just a part of the James. They are a problem. Below is an excerpt from Wikipedia about Canada Geese:
This species is native to North America. It breeds in Canada and the northern United States in a variety of habitats. Its nest is usually located in an elevated area near water such as streams, lakes, ponds and sometimes on a beaver lodge. Its eggs are laid in a shallow depression lined with plant material and down. The Great Lakes region maintains a very large population of Canada Geese.
By the early 20th century, over-hunting and loss of habitat in the late 19th century and early 20th century had resulted in a serious decline in the numbers of this bird in its native range. The Giant Canada Goose subspecies was believed to be extinct in the 1950s until, in 1962, a small flock was discovered wintering in Rochester, Minnesota, by Harold Hanson of the Illinois Natural History Survey.[11] In 1964, the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center was built near Jamestown. Its first director, Harvey K. Nelson, talked Forrest Lee into leaving Minnesota. Forrest Lee would head the center’s Canada Goose production and restoration program. Forrest soon had 64 pens with 64 breeding pairs of screened, high-quality birds. The project involved private, state and federal resources and relied on the expertise and cooperation of many individuals. By the end of 1981, more than 6,000 giant Canada Geese had been released at 83 sites in 26 counties in North Dakota. [12] With improved game laws and habitat recreation and preservation programs, their populations have recovered in most of their range, although some local populations, especially of the subspecies occidentals, may still be declining.
In recent years, Canada Goose populations in some areas have grown substantially, so much so that many consider them pests for their droppings, bacteria in their droppings, noise, and confrontational behavior. This problem is partially due to the removal of natural predators and an abundance of safe, man-made bodies of water near food sources, such as those found on golf courses, in public parks and beaches, and in planned communities. Due in part to the interbreeding of various migratory subspecies with the introduced non-migratory Giant subspecies, Canada Geese are frequently a year-around feature of such urban environments.
Contrary to its normal migration routine, large flocks of Canada Geese have established permanent residence in Esquimalt, British Columbia, on Chesapeake Bay, in Virginia's James River regions, and in the Triangle area of North Carolina (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill), and nearby Hillsborough. Some Canada Geese have taken up permanent residence as far south as Florida, in places such as retention ponds in apartment complexes. Large resident populations of Canada Geese are also present in much of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California.
I find it fascinating that our river environment was used in the Wikipedia definition as an example of the over population of the Canada Goose. I truly believe that I could not be a better expert on the daily problem of Canada Geese in the James. They have a severe impact on both my personal and professional life.
When I moved to The Island, I certainly was not alone. I recorded 36 Canada Goose nests when I first arrived. The following is an exert from my journal from the first few weeks on The Island:
April 13, 2013 ~ Journal Entry ~ Day 12
"I woke up this morning to the extra loud racket of goose battles. When I looked out of my tent window I observed two large male geese entangled in a heated battle for territorial rights directly in the middle of my camp. They had their necks wrapped around one another, and were attempting to swat one another with their wings. (if you have never observed a goose battle, they are extremely violent) I found it ironic that they were both battling for territory right in the middle of my territory. This could not continue, because on this island, I am king.........and the geese know it. I gave one loud yell and they both scampered off, still fighting each other as they went.
Don't get me wrong.......I love the geese, as long as they are kept in check. When I first arrived on the island, I had an extremely bad impression of them due to my previous encounters with them while kayaking. My original plan was to rid the island of the geese and all of their eggs, especially after a conversation I had with the legend......Ralph White. The James has provided the perfect habitat for the geese to overpopulate" (already explained above).....................
"Once I settled into the island, I realized the geese were able to adjust to my presence well, and we quickly co-habited. Although they are obnoxiously loud, poop everywhere, are territorial as hell, and have severe attitude problems, they are actually harmless. (their bite does not hurt. It tickles) They have grown a lot on me since being out here. They give me plenty of company, provide lots of entertainment, and are funny as hell at times.
However, the attribute I respect the most about the geese are their attention to family. Each one has an unbreakable commitment to raise and protect their young at all costs. Yesterday I saw a mother goose and a father goose lead five little goslings over the rocks and into the river. The father goose led the way, with the five little ones following right behind in a perfect line like a little kindergarten class. The mother goose brought up the rear, helping the ones that lagged behind. They were a family, and it showed that they stuck together, through thick and thin.
I have begun to name the mother geese, mostly after ex-girlfriends. When I first came to the island I tried to move a nest for camp. The mother goose was having none of it, and she is still the only goose on the island to back me down. Out of respect, I named her Marcelle. Marcelle is an amazing mother and would do anything to protect our boys (including manipulating herself into believing they shouldn't be allowed to see their father) and she always could back me down in a fight."
As the weeks and months passed by on The Island, the geese continued to fascinate me. I watched a gosling hatch straight out of its egg one afternoon, (it was a moving experience, especially with the turmoil and fight for my own boys) and witnessed two geese fight off a red tailed hawk trying to pick off their goslings. I also unfortunately witnessed a hawk snatch up a gosling and eat it alive one day just above my camp in a tree. It was disturbing and brutal, especially hearing the screams of the gosling as it died, but it is also a part of nature, and needs to happen more to control the growth of the species.
Skip forward to late June. My job at Venture Richmond requires me to assist in the care and maintenance of Brown's Island. The Island is covered in Bermuda Grass, which grows laterally and makes brown's Island look like a golf course most of the summer. Due to the high water we have witnessed throughout the summer, the geese retreated to Brown's Island to feed of the Bermuda grass and take shelter in the canal. This is a huge problem for us and for the island. Their poop covers the canal dock and the sidewalks and we power wash on almost a daily basis.
"If a group of beings from another planet were to land on Earth - beings who considered themselves as superior to you as you feel yourself to be to other animals - would you concede them the rights over you that you assume over other animals."
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This species is native to North America. It breeds in Canada and the northern United States in a variety of habitats. Its nest is usually located in an elevated area near water such as streams, lakes, ponds and sometimes on a beaver lodge. Its eggs are laid in a shallow depression lined with plant material and down. The Great Lakes region maintains a very large population of Canada Geese.
By the early 20th century, over-hunting and loss of habitat in the late 19th century and early 20th century had resulted in a serious decline in the numbers of this bird in its native range. The Giant Canada Goose subspecies was believed to be extinct in the 1950s until, in 1962, a small flock was discovered wintering in Rochester, Minnesota, by Harold Hanson of the Illinois Natural History Survey.[11] In 1964, the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center was built near Jamestown. Its first director, Harvey K. Nelson, talked Forrest Lee into leaving Minnesota. Forrest Lee would head the center’s Canada Goose production and restoration program. Forrest soon had 64 pens with 64 breeding pairs of screened, high-quality birds. The project involved private, state and federal resources and relied on the expertise and cooperation of many individuals. By the end of 1981, more than 6,000 giant Canada Geese had been released at 83 sites in 26 counties in North Dakota. [12] With improved game laws and habitat recreation and preservation programs, their populations have recovered in most of their range, although some local populations, especially of the subspecies occidentals, may still be declining.
In recent years, Canada Goose populations in some areas have grown substantially, so much so that many consider them pests for their droppings, bacteria in their droppings, noise, and confrontational behavior. This problem is partially due to the removal of natural predators and an abundance of safe, man-made bodies of water near food sources, such as those found on golf courses, in public parks and beaches, and in planned communities. Due in part to the interbreeding of various migratory subspecies with the introduced non-migratory Giant subspecies, Canada Geese are frequently a year-around feature of such urban environments.
Contrary to its normal migration routine, large flocks of Canada Geese have established permanent residence in Esquimalt, British Columbia, on Chesapeake Bay, in Virginia's James River regions, and in the Triangle area of North Carolina (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill), and nearby Hillsborough. Some Canada Geese have taken up permanent residence as far south as Florida, in places such as retention ponds in apartment complexes. Large resident populations of Canada Geese are also present in much of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California.
I find it fascinating that our river environment was used in the Wikipedia definition as an example of the over population of the Canada Goose. I truly believe that I could not be a better expert on the daily problem of Canada Geese in the James. They have a severe impact on both my personal and professional life.
When I moved to The Island, I certainly was not alone. I recorded 36 Canada Goose nests when I first arrived. The following is an exert from my journal from the first few weeks on The Island:
April 13, 2013 ~ Journal Entry ~ Day 12
"I woke up this morning to the extra loud racket of goose battles. When I looked out of my tent window I observed two large male geese entangled in a heated battle for territorial rights directly in the middle of my camp. They had their necks wrapped around one another, and were attempting to swat one another with their wings. (if you have never observed a goose battle, they are extremely violent) I found it ironic that they were both battling for territory right in the middle of my territory. This could not continue, because on this island, I am king.........and the geese know it. I gave one loud yell and they both scampered off, still fighting each other as they went.
Don't get me wrong.......I love the geese, as long as they are kept in check. When I first arrived on the island, I had an extremely bad impression of them due to my previous encounters with them while kayaking. My original plan was to rid the island of the geese and all of their eggs, especially after a conversation I had with the legend......Ralph White. The James has provided the perfect habitat for the geese to overpopulate" (already explained above).....................
"Once I settled into the island, I realized the geese were able to adjust to my presence well, and we quickly co-habited. Although they are obnoxiously loud, poop everywhere, are territorial as hell, and have severe attitude problems, they are actually harmless. (their bite does not hurt. It tickles) They have grown a lot on me since being out here. They give me plenty of company, provide lots of entertainment, and are funny as hell at times.
However, the attribute I respect the most about the geese are their attention to family. Each one has an unbreakable commitment to raise and protect their young at all costs. Yesterday I saw a mother goose and a father goose lead five little goslings over the rocks and into the river. The father goose led the way, with the five little ones following right behind in a perfect line like a little kindergarten class. The mother goose brought up the rear, helping the ones that lagged behind. They were a family, and it showed that they stuck together, through thick and thin.
I have begun to name the mother geese, mostly after ex-girlfriends. When I first came to the island I tried to move a nest for camp. The mother goose was having none of it, and she is still the only goose on the island to back me down. Out of respect, I named her Marcelle. Marcelle is an amazing mother and would do anything to protect our boys (including manipulating herself into believing they shouldn't be allowed to see their father) and she always could back me down in a fight."
As the weeks and months passed by on The Island, the geese continued to fascinate me. I watched a gosling hatch straight out of its egg one afternoon, (it was a moving experience, especially with the turmoil and fight for my own boys) and witnessed two geese fight off a red tailed hawk trying to pick off their goslings. I also unfortunately witnessed a hawk snatch up a gosling and eat it alive one day just above my camp in a tree. It was disturbing and brutal, especially hearing the screams of the gosling as it died, but it is also a part of nature, and needs to happen more to control the growth of the species.
Skip forward to late June. My job at Venture Richmond requires me to assist in the care and maintenance of Brown's Island. The Island is covered in Bermuda Grass, which grows laterally and makes brown's Island look like a golf course most of the summer. Due to the high water we have witnessed throughout the summer, the geese retreated to Brown's Island to feed of the Bermuda grass and take shelter in the canal. This is a huge problem for us and for the island. Their poop covers the canal dock and the sidewalks and we power wash on almost a daily basis.
As you can see, we are not talking about a little bit of poop here. At the end of June, the geese begin their molting season. This is when they loose their feathers and grow new ones. During this time, they are unable to fly, which encourages them even more to seek shelter in the canal and on the island. D.J. has dealt with the problem every year for a long time, and he is very good at being patient with them, but due to the abnormal weather and water levels this summer, the problem was exasperated. So we decided that a goose heard was in order, and it would be "The Great Brown's Island Goose Heard of 2013".........long story short, the geese kicked our asses. We began by taking two john boats and pushing the flock up the upper canal and onto Browns Island. Then we slowly walked 70 to 100 geese across Browns Island and into the James. From there I attempted to use my kayak to force them all into Pipeline Rapid and down river, away from Brown's Island. We then built goose fences around Brown's Island to keep them out. By the end of the day, the island was goose free.......................by 11pm that evening, every one of those little fuckers found their way back onto the island and were sitting there staring at me, as if to say "Fuck You! We are way smarter than you think."...................so in the end, the geese won and we apparently suck at our job. However, the experience taught me a few very important lessons.
1. Don't fuck with nature, because in the end nature always wins.
2. Geese have brains the size of a pea, which makes us complete morons, because they beat us.
3. I no longer love the geese. I hate them once again.
4. I have one of the coolest and most unique jobs in all of RVA.
5. The entire experience was funny as shit!
In the end I feel the experience was yet another unique lesson taught to me throughout my experiences of The Island Life, and I am grateful to D.J., Venture, and all those who support what I am doing, plus, as you can see below, I made some new friends.
~George Bernard Shaw~
Now there is a quote that will make you think......fo' sho'! See ya on the rivah......be nice to the geese........and the homeless. :) PEACE
Now there is a quote that will make you think......fo' sho'! See ya on the rivah......be nice to the geese........and the homeless. :) PEACE
