Good Morning Watershed Explorers,
I came across this article when I was searching for something interesting to write about today. Click the link and then scroll down to number 7 on the list before reading the post further. https://www.todaysparent.com/family/activities/50-fun-free-spring-activities/#gallery/50-fun-free-spring-activities/slide-1
Were you as shocked as I was? I thought I was looking at an article from the 70s, but nope, this article was written this March. I guess feeding waterfowl isn't banned in all states, but it sure is here in Rhode Island. The Department of Environmental Management put out this great educational pamphlet years ago to educate Rhode Islanders about the dangers associated with feeding waterfowl. It banned the feeding of waterfowl in 2003. It's bad for the birds and our watersheds. Here is the pamphlet if you would like to take a look. http://stlri.org/pdfs/dontfeed.pdf
Many adults fondly recount stories of feeding water fowl such as ducks, geese, and swans when they were children. Years ago, scientists didn't know how harmful this action was to the water or the birds and it wasn't considered a danger. However, because of scientific research, we now know that feeding water fowl can cause malnutrition for the birds as well as extensive water pollution problems.
Feeding waterfowl may seem like a fun activity. It can definitely get you up close and personal with a really cool animal. The dangers outweigh the experience though, so please remember to watch these creatures at a distance and allow them to find their own food the way that nature intended. This will keep the birds and our water safe and healthy.
I hope you excelled at another week of distance learning. You are almost at the finish line, so keep going strong!
Much love,
Mrs. Morissette