A mess of poop soup at some of Vernon’s parks and beaches is causing a stink.
Goose droppings are littered over the beach, grass and playground at Kin Beach, along with other area beaches and parks, including Fulton Secondary fields.
“It’s disgusting what they’re doing out there,” said Vernon Coun. Dalvir Nahal. “There’s no point in having a park if the geese are just living there, you might as well build them a house. It’s like Planet of the Apes but Planet of the Geese in there – it’s disgusting.”
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“You could scrape goose manure off with a truck,” adds Coun. Scott Anderson, during the debate at Monday’s council meeting.
One suggested solution is using off-leash dogs to control the goose population.
“If dogs were constantly present over time, this would be an effective inexpensive and humane solution for encouraging the geese to settle somewhere else,” said residents David Bissett and Catherine Cookson, who said they couldn’t let their granddaughter run around the park last summer due to the poop mess. “Of course the dogs would have to be under the owner’s control at all times and owners would have to pick up after their dogs. ‘Doggie’ bags could be supplied at the park.”
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City staff is looking into the suggestion. Staff are also looking into increasing goose control efforts.
Currently, early-morning scare tactics are used at athletic and community parks and beaches, as well as the removal of goose droppings. The city is looking into the cost of conducting evening scares as well, to keep the geese from homing in area parks.
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