A typical morning on campus features pothole dodging, rushing to class, caffeine of choice in hand — and the ever present goose calls.
Heard more than they are seen, the Canadian Geese residents of Delta College spend most of their time on top of the buildings or under the trees in the parks, but are not generally spotted in the Quad, likely due to the hustle and bustle of student life.
Director of Marketing and Communications Alex Breitler has a history with Stockton’s waterfowl population as a former reporter for the Stockton Record.
Breitler still keeps tabs on the geese, revealing that a pair of geese who’d built a nest on the third floor roof of Shima last year have returned to rebuild.
“I was in a meeting the other day in Shima, happened to glance out the window and saw one of them on the roof. We all stopped what we were doing for a second or two so we could take a look,” said Brietler. “Not something you see every day!”
Breitler’s experience models proper wildlife interaction.
According to Jack Sparks, the Refuge Manager at San Luis National Wildlife Refuge, wildlife should be observed from a respectful distance.
“Just be an observer,” said Sparks, “If you see that your actions are causing them [the geese] to change their behavior then do what you can to minimize those actions.”
Sparks said to try not to impact the wildlife, and that if the animal appears stressed by your presence, or if the animal becomes aggressive to “leave it alone.”
“Don’t try to counter its aggression by capturing it. Geese can at times be very protective of their territories,” said Sparks. “Don’t try to chase it. Don’t try to handle it or grab it.”
Sparks said that geese are not predators, so the advice not to run when faced with a threat like a mountain lion doesn’t apply here.
“It’s different with a goose, it doesn’t necessarily want to chase you,” said Sparks.
So students who cross paths with a goose, or spot a nest on a roof or should always observe and not interact.
