
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 19, 1994                   TAG: 9407070076
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-4   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY  
SOURCE: JOANNE ANDERSON
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WILDLIFE AT THE DUCK POND

There aren't many fish in the Duck Pond. It is temporarily stocked each spring for the mudbowl fishing tournament, but otherwise, there's just a handful of carp with a few goldfish mingled in at semester's end.

"For students with aquariums who have too much of a heart to flush their gold-scaled friends down the commode, the Duck Pond offers the next best option for release," said Peter Karp, university architect.

There are, however, many ducks and geese. And there are many people who come to the Duck Pond to feed them.

"There's no nutritional value for ducks and geese to consume bread, crackers or popcorn. It's not natural to their diet," said Jim Parkhurst, extension wildlife specialist at Virginia Tech. "It's a little like giving candy to children. Of course, they're going to eat as much as they can get, but it is of no benefit."

In the case of the ducks and geese, primarily mallards and Canadas, it can be harmful, because it encourages large numbers of fowl to congregate in one area, reducing the natural food supply per bird and enhancing the possibility of disease transmission.

Furthermore, Parkhurst said, "wildlife specialists are finding migration reduction in geese and ducks."

A reliable feeding spot can become a refuge, he said. The birds will stay year-round, posing a threat to the local environment in terms of feather accumulation, droppings, and grass and crop damage.

Parkhurst recommends observing the birds at the Duck Pond, learning something about their behavior and habits and enjoying the area without feeding the waterfowl.

Memo: ***CORRECTION***

by CNB