Canada Goose Survey

The SIC is investigating how Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) populations may be influencing water quality in Roger Williams Park (RWP). Once primarily migratory, Canada Geese began establishing year-round populations in Rhode Island during the 1950s. Since then, their numbers have expanded due to limited predators, favorable park habitats, and regular feeding by visitors. Large concentrations of geese in urban areas can negatively impact both water quality and public health by fueling algal blooms, spreading pathogens, and accelerating shoreline erosion.

Waterfowl contribute nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus to ponds and lakes through their waste, which carries the nutrients they consume from plants, insects, and other foods. Because geese spend much of their time in or near the water, their nutrient-rich feces are deposited directly into the ecosystem. A 2013 Horsley Witten report estimated that waterfowl were contributing 154 pounds of phosphorus annually to RWP, which exceeds the ponds’ natural internal cycling of 128 pounds per year by 20%. Internal cycling capacity refers to the amount of nutrients that a pond naturally releases from its own sediments and recirculates each year without additional external inputs. When outside sources such as geese add more nutrients than this natural threshold, water quality can decline.

In 2025, the Canada Goose Survey was launched as a community science initiative by Jessy Minker, former TerraCorps Land Stewardship Coordinator with the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. Each month, volunteers walk through the park, counting Canada Geese in and around the lakes as well as any human feeding behavior. Volunteers may also choose to count other waterfowl species they see. These observations have been compiled into a visual dashboard, with the aim of supporting future public education efforts such as enhancing signage in RWP, discouraging feeding, and engaging park-goers in community science monitoring.