Yesterday’s Island/Today’s Nantucket
Vol. 51 No.13 • YesterdaysIsland.com
August 26-Sept. 1, 2021
Let the Island’s Wildlife Be Wild
Page 7
Sail Endeavor a Nantucket tradition.
by Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois
established 1982
Director of Research & Education at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation
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As the old proverb goes, “If you love something, set it free…” For nature and wild things, it should be edited to read “If you love something, let it be.” There can be a fine line between loving nature and over-loving nature. This is evident at some of the most popular National Parks like Yellowstone, Arches, or Joshua Tree. Some of these most famous natural areas are getting loved to death: overcrowding, trampling vegetation, garbage, etc. Aside from physical places, the other thing that can be over-loved when it comes to nature is the nature itself. Conservation groups and environmental educators know that when people feel a connection to something, they are more likely to want to protect it and support it. With wildlife, sometimes that can go too far and people can cause more harm than good to our Nantucket wildlife. Even with the best of intentions, it is always better to leave something in the wild and let nature take its course. Not only is it common sense to keep wild things wild, but there is mounting evidence that we can do more harm than good when we try to “help wildlife.” The two primary ways this harm happens is when people feed wild animals or when they take them out of their natural environment. Feeding wildlife may seem like an enjoyable way to connect with nature, but it can often lead to serious problems. Although it might seem harmless and cute, fed wildlife can become dependent on unreliable food sources and suffer nutritionally when given inappropriate foods. Habituated wild animals are also more susceptible to predators and vehicle collisions, as they lose their fear of people and the associated flight response. On Nantucket, one example can be seen at the bridge where people illegally feed snapping turtles. In other cases, wild animals who have been fed regularly can develop foodseeking aggression and can become hostile towards people. When wild animals gather for food handouts, it can cause crowding and competition. These unnatural conditions increase the chances of fighting and injury among animals. It can also increase the spread of diseases. Feeding ducks has long been a family activity. You may have noticed the signs at the duck pond known as Consue Springs or Goose Pond owned by the Nantucket Land Bank. Giving food, especially bread, to ducks, geese, and other waterfowl can create many problems for birds and the environment, and both Mass Audubon and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife discourage it. Feeding attracts large concentrations of waterfowl to areas that can’t naturally support such numbers. Left on their own, ducks and geese will occupy areas that provide sufficient natural food. continued on page 20
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