Date: 6/19/25 5:35 pm From: Yvonne Homeyer <yhomeyer...> Subject: City of Brentwood killed Canada Geese at one of its parks
Hello everybody,
I wish I had a positive post, but the information I have to share is disturbing. I live in Brentwood, MO (a suburb of St. Louis County). Recently, the City of Brentwood created a huge new park as part of a huge flood control program along Manchester Road to control flooding from a local creek. There are some lovely ponds in the park, along with extensive native plant habitat and a mile-long paved walking trail. The park also includes a destination playground that is truly impressive.
Some Canada Geese discovered our park and our ponds and decided to raise families there this year. The City of Brentwood teamed up with a federal agency during breeding season to kill some of the birds (presumably the adults - still trying to reach the Parks Department head to get details) and to relocate others (presumably the goslings). The City of Brentwood Board of Aldermen approved this plan this past Monday and the deed was done on Wednesday. I am still trying to find out how they were killed. To make it sound so much better, the goose meat was apparently processed and donated. I don't know what attempt was made to reach out to those of us who live in Brentwood but I heard nothing about this until after the fact. It only came to light because of a post on Next Door. Apparently only the Parks Director spoke at the Board of Aldermen meeting so no nature-friendly voices were heard. How could they be when the issue was not known to those of us who live here?
What did the City of Brentwood think would happen when they created this beautiful habitat and ponds? And their plan is, kill the birds that are attracted to the ponds that the City of Brentwood created? Why can't we co-exist with the wildlife that our ponds attract?
My own condo community in the City of Brentwood has a large lake with many Canada Geese present every year and they present no danger to anyone walking around our community. We have never killed any geese. A nearby St. Louis County park (Tilles Park) has a large goose population. There are ponds all over residential neighborhoods and corporate campuses in the St. Louis area. I've never heard of a wholesale slaughter of geese.
New geese will come in and then what? Is the City of Brentwood going to do this again? and again?
I want to educate our city officials and Board of Aldermen that they need to stop over-reacting and see the geese as another natural element rather than an enemy to be feared as dangerous (the alleged basis for killing them). If anybody knows of other ponds on private or public property that have Canada Geese on them, what do those property owners do about the geese? Co-exist or exterminate?
Yvonne Homeyer Brentwood (St. Louis) MO
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