Local chapter of Delta Waterfowl Foundation building nests for Canada geese, promoting conservation efforts

Last year, Matt Sullivan’s kids came home exclaiming with excitement they found a Canada goose nest in Jackson down by the creek in the park. After a bad rain, Sullivan took his kids to check on the nest but discovered it had been destroyed by a raccoon overnight.

Matti Sullivan, 16, and Clayton Sullivan, 15, attach a plastic tub onto a wooden stand to create a nesting space for waterfowl that will float in the water, Thursday at The Ground-A-Bout in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

“It made me sick,” Sullivan said. “These beautiful goose eggs that were sitting there were just [destroyed].”

That was the moment Sullivan decided he was going to get involved with the Delta Waterfowl Foundation. A not-for-profit, the Delta Waterfowl Foundation is a “leading conservation group working to produce ducks and secure the future of waterfowling in North America,” according to the organization’s website.

The Semo Delta Waterfowl Chapter was founded in June to help promote the two key ideologies of the national organization: habitat preservation and predator control.

Ian Sullivan, 12, reaches for a zip-tie while attaching poultry wire to rebar in order to create a nesting space for waterfowl, specifically Canada geese, on Thursday at The Ground-A-Bout in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

Sullivan, who began hunting in 1979, said he’s been through just about every phase a hunter goes through, with the last phase being attuned to the importance of conservation efforts. He also reflected on the men who took him hunting as a young boy and said he enjoys being able to give back to the kids through this local chapter.

His current project is getting children involved in the construction of Canada goose nesting boxes.

Beginning with a rebar design that Sullivan said took too much time, he said he has now found a way to partner with a box company in Arizona to design 30-inch-by-30-inch corrugated plastic trays he then attaches to wooden stakes in order to float in ponds.

Ian Sullivan, 12, gets help from his dad, Matt Sullivan, zip-tying poultry wire to rebar in order to create a nesting space for waterfowl Thursday at The Ground-A-Bout in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

“[The] basic principle is: It’ll sit out in the water, we fill them with straw and then the geese will come and nest,” Sullivan explained. “It gives [the geese] some barrier between the edge of the pond so their nests don’t get destroyed by [predators].”

Sullivan also explained these floating nests provide the geese with a space away from human interaction.

He said there’s been a large migration of Canada geese in this region, which has contributed to a significant growth in their population, and has “been a great success story” but there is “no habitat management in place.”

Clayton Sullivan, 15, attaches a plastic tub onto a wooden stand to create a nesting space for waterfowl that will float in the water, Thursday at The Ground-A-Bout in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

“It’s not a problem that’s going to go away, so the only thing you can do is manage it and try to control some of it,” he said.

Building the nesting boxes isn’t just beneficial to the geese, however. Sullivan’s goal of the Semo Delta Waterfowl Chapter is to get children — and families — involved with conservation efforts. The projects allow kids to understand the importance of preserving and controlling a flock.

In addition to conservation projects, the Semo Delta Waterfowl Chapter will hold a banquet in September that is family-friendly and geared to get all involved. Sullivan said the event allows the organization to fundraise while providing the community with a fun night out. Last year’s inaugural event had more than 300 attendees, all of whom received free Delta Waterfowl Foundation memberships under the local chapter.

A Semo Delta Waterfowl Chapter sign is seen Thursday at The Ground-A-Bout in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

Sullivan said the national organization of the Delta Waterfowl Foundation is the only conservation organization that allows its chapters to keep a portion of fundraising money local, and heavily promotes using that funding for local projects.

This community involvement allows folks to be able to see what efforts are being made in the conservation of waterfowl, he said.

“Cleaning creeks, cleaning waterways, cleaning parks, picking up trash, building wood duck boxes, building these goose nests: these are all things that have a local impact and people can see [they’re] apart of this,” Sullivan said.

Clayton Sullivan, 15, puts a wooden stand together before attaching a plastic basin to create a nesting space for waterfowl Thursday at The Ground-A-Bout in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

The local chapter is not a member-exclusive club, Sullivan explained. Anyone is welcome to participate in the efforts the Semo Delta Waterfowl Chapter is making within the community.

“All of our events are open to the public,” Sullivan said. “You don’t have to join, you don’t have to pay a fee, you don’t have to be part of an exclusive group. It is wide open to anybody.”

Ian Sullivan, 12, attaches poultry wire to rebar with zip-ties in order to create a nesting space for waterfowl Thursday at The Ground-A-Bout in Jackson.KASSI JACKSON

For more information about the Semo Delta Waterfowl Chapter or get Canada goose nests, visit the organization’s Facebook page.

kjackson@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3636