[Peace] to keep a balance, Urb Park proposes to kill 60-100 Crystal lake geese-- read & take survey

[Debra Schrishuhn]

Outstanding, Susan and Niloofar. I took the survey last week and have been
spreading the word. The geese are native, just like our corn-fed whitetail
deer that sometimes form a traffic hazard in the rural parts of the county.
If Crystal Lake kills all but 20 geese, by next year there will be another
80-100 geese in the park because they are widespread in this area.

Absent natural predators (which the park officials would no doubt find even
more of a "nuisance") the geese can and should be managed without wholesale
slaughter, disingenuously called "Collection and Charity Donation" by park
officials who want to soft-pedal their plans. And the plan to donate the
meat to food banks may be well-meaning, but it is seriously flawed, as
anyone who has ever tried/ learned to cook wild goose meat can attest.

Besides people taking the survey, who can we call today? Here is the main
number--call and protest on behalf of the geese. 217.367.1544 <
1-217-367-1544>

Now here are the commissioners

*Michael Walker / President*-since 1983, reelected in 2019

*Nancy Delcomyn / Vice President*
Commissioner since 1993
Next up for election 2023

*Roger Digges / Commissioner* elected in 2019

*Meredith Blumthal / Commissioner*
Commissioner since 2010
Next up for election 2021

*LaShaunda Cunningham / Commissioner*
Commissioner since 2015
Next up for election 2021

These folks need to feel some community heat.

One for the honkers!
Deb

On Mon, May 11, 2020 at 1:57 AM Niloofar Shambayati via Peace <
peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote:

> Susan,
>
> Thank you so much for spreading the word about the horrific proposal to
> slaughter the Crystal Lake's geese to supposedly attract more visitors.
> Don't they see how ironic it is that the Park houses Anita Purves Nature
> Center, whose main goal is to help children realize that humans are part of
> the nature, not its masters?! Can't we accept some "inconveniences" in
> return for the joy of watching goslings experience life under the
> protection of their parents, who're partners for life?
>
> Please urge the commissioners to reject this proposal as cruel and of
> highly dubious effect.
>
> Niloofar Shambayati
>
> On Sun, May 10, 2020 at 5:48 PM Susan Parenti via Peace <
> peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote:
>
>> The Urbana Park District Board of Commissioners is going to vote on
>> Tuesday night May 12 whether or not they support the Park District's
>> proposal to kill off 60–100 geese in Crystal Lake Park, as a way to manage
>> them and make a balance between number of geese and size/capacities of
>> Park.  (They intend to leave 20 geese alive).
>>
>> You can see their proposal here :
>> https:// <https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K6R2HWQ>
>> www.urbanaparks.org/projects/geese-population-and-management
>>
>> Inside the proposal is a 3 minute survey about how you feel about the
>> geese in the Park—the survey puts the geese in a negative light. But please
>> do the survey now, or at least before 6pm Tuesday night. You don't have to
>> agree with my sentiments.
>>
>> Here is the survey:
>> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K6R2HWQ
>>
>> How do I feel about this? Daily I go to the Park to see/hear the
>> geese—they’re the main attraction. The Park District secured a grant to
>> improve Crystal Park, and they feel that the presence of the geese gets in
>> the way of those improvements. .  They say that lots of people won’t go to
>> the Park because of the geese—I don’t know anyone who feels that way. But,
>> mostly, for me the killing off of the geese is a human-centered way of
>> thinking (if it’s good for humans, then it’s fine) and that way of thinking
>> I want to stop as it’s a big component of why we have catastrophic climate
>> change.
>>
>> “GEESEHERDS”  I propose that given that the swimming pool will be closed
>> all summer, why doesn’t the Park District use 2 ex-pool employees and make
>> them GEESEHERDS—a variation on shep(sheep)herds. These geessherds can take
>> care of the geese, tend to their problems, turn their poop into iron-rich
>> compost. This way the park District is free of taking care of the geese,
>> and two people have a job.
>>
>> Please spread the word. We don’t have much time.
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> *Susan Parenti*
>> *Educational Coordinator *
>>
>> *The School for Designing a Society *www.designingasociety.net
>>
>> *Like us on Facebook <http://www.facebook.com/designasociety>!*
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