Have a gander at the Gardens and take home a goose

10 March 2009

Do you have a large property or farm that would make a nice home for a few city geese?

The Auckland Botanic Gardens is looking for a new home for some of its gaggle of white geese.   With goose numbers increasing and concern that someone may get hurt, Gardens staff are hoping that a bird-lover with an appropriate property might volunteer to re-home and take care of some of the birds.

A recent incident involving a toddler saw a goose nip the boy’s arm, leaving him sore, upset and frightened.

“We continue to be concerned that a playful child might get hurt by one of the territorial geese,” says Visitor Services Manager Micheline Newton.

In the last few months, the number of geese at the Gardens has crept up to about 30. 

“We are also concerned about the health and well-being of the birds.  Being a botanic garden, we don’t have the expertise to look after birdlife and we can’t have the Gardens being treated as a bird sanctuary,” says Micheline.

“We’re not sure where the birds are coming from but we suspect that they are being abandoned here by someone who knows we have other birds at the Gardens.”

If you can provide a new home for the Gardens’ geese, please contact Micheline Newton on 09 267 1457 x229.  You will need to demonstrate that you have a suitable new home for the birds. 

The Auckland Botanic Gardens is working on a restoration project that will see the water quality in the two main lakes improved and the area around the lakes further developed as a wetland and more efficient stormwater catchment area.

This project involves draining the lakes and removing plant material and sediment.  During this time it is expected that the birdlife around the lakes will naturally disperse to other areas.

“Part of the problem that we face with the quality of our lake water relates directly to the feeding of water birds.  We hope that during this project we can also change the behaviour of people that come to feed the ducks and geese by encouraging them to use proper feed, instead of bread, and feed the birds on grassy areas,” says Micheline

Decomposing bread and large numbers of birds defecating on the lakes contributes to bacteria and water pollution.  Also, feeding the ducks and geese bread, rather than bird feed, is not healthy for the birds leaving them malnourished and prone to disease.

The lake restoration project at the Auckland Botanic Gardens commenced in February 2009 and will be completed by the end of March.  There will be some ongoing work around the lakes and sediment disposal sites to restore grass and plantings.  Keep an eye on the Gardens’ website www.aucklandbotanicgardens.co.nz for updates.

ENDS

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