Please Don’t Feed the Geese

By Annabelle Hammer, Volunteer Who Keeps the Community Dock Clean

Although it may be tempting, please don’t feed the geese and ducks that show up near the community dock (or elsewhere). There are several reasons for this request. Reston Association prohibits feeding non-domesticated wild animals. People food isn’t good for geese (a diet of white bread, instead of their natural diet of grasses and water plants, may cause deformities). The geese may seem tame, but they can bite a hand by mistake, and competition for human food increases aggression toward other geese and the ducks. When the geese are fed, they end up expecting handouts and therefore approach people who are sitting on the benches eating. Uneaten bread may attract rats and harms the quality of our lake water. The extra food causes more poop, which is not only unpleasant but may also increase the spread of disease to humans and geese.

So please, help keep our wild Canada geese and ducks wild.