Boston looks to fix goose poop problem in parks, playgrounds

BOSTON – Goose poop is piling up in parks and playgrounds in Boston and city officials are looking for ways to rein it in.

The City Council is holding a public hearing Tuesday to discuss ways to mitigate the impact of Canada geese.

Councillor Annissa Essaibi-George requested the hearing. She says Boston’s open spaces are home to thousands of geese that can each eat about four pounds of grass and produce up to three pounds of fecal matter every day.

Wildlife experts say the birds are typically migratory but are increasingly staying year-round. Canada geese are federally protected but have no natural predators in the region.

Ithaca, New York; Columbus, Ohio and other communities have also tried controlling the geese in recent years, as have the caretakers of the National Mall in D.C.