It’s that time of year again, when our resident Canada geese are nesting. Our federally protected feathered friends may choose locations that aren’t all that convenient for us as campus travelers, but they have their reasons.

Here are some important things to remember:

• They tend to choose open, flat spaces so they can see predators from a distance.
• They’ll be gone in less than a month from when the mother starts sitting on her eggs. Within hours of hatching, the babies can walk and the parents will lead them away to the closest water source.
• Leave nests alone. Moving a nest containing eggs can endanger the young.
• Don’t feed them. Mom usually doesn’t eat during the incubation period, so leaving food will attract predators. And feeding the newborns unnatural foods can cause problems with their development.

Best practice: Leave them alone, stay out of their way, and when the babies come, they likely won’t be in your way any more.

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