It's been reported that more than 700 geese have been spotted at one given time on the open fields at St. Paul's, perfect feeding ground because no play has taken place there since the closing for extensive renovation some months back. According to Recreation Commissioner Ed Fronckwicz, the geese are just feeding and then moving on to a water source to nest although he doesn't know exactly where that is.

In speaking with several area firms that deal with such problems, officials hired Long Island Geese Control out of West Islip to mediate the situation with Border Collies. The firm began their services Jan. 13 at St. Paul's as well as Community Park, where numerous geese have also been spotted.

At $1,500 a month, Long Island Geese Control releases the Collies onto the fields three times a day on Monday through Friday and once on Saturday and again on Sunday. Fronckwicz said officials also looked at Environmental Geese Control out of North Great River but opted to use Long Island Geese because that firm agreed to come seven days a week.

After speaking with several ground superintendents at various golf courses to see how they effectively deal with the growing problem, Fronckwicz said the Border Collies seemed to be the best option. "They chase the geese but don't come in actual contact with them," he said. "We've had geese come and go in the past but since we closed the fields and no activity has been taking place, they're growing in number."

Deputy Mayor Barbara Miller, who recently toured the renovated St. Paul's fields, said, "I walked through the renderings from the 700 plus geese and am thankful that something is being done about that."

At a recent conference at Eisenhower Park, US Senator Charles Schumer announced that a program dubbed Geesepeace is on its way to Long Island to help alleviate the Canada geese overpopulation problem that threatens the health of local residents and the environment. Nassau County is now in the process of rolling out the program countywide.

Simply put, Geesepeace is dedicated to building better communities through innovative, effective and humane solutions to wildlife conflicts. The programs emphasize effective long-term solutions while working in partnership with local governments, business and community leaders to assure full support and availability of community resources to resolve the wildlife conflicts humanely.

Fronckwicz, who attended the conference, said the program deals with three different phases but Garden City officials are only interested in the feeding aspect since the geese are not nesting on the property.

The Canada goose is perhaps one of the most magnificent migratory birds of North America. In recent years, a once small population of "resident," non-migratory Canada geese, the remnants of hunting stocks, has grown in numbers so that in many communities, it is seen as a nuisance and is the source of a growing controversy, pitting institution against institution on what to do about it.

Schumer noted that each community and its environment is different and the specific application of these methods will vary to fit individual sites. The Geesepeace program uses such steps as landscaping to enhance the effectiveness of the Border Collie. Planting of tall grasses, bushes or other vegetation provide a place for a land predator to hide, thus increasing the effectiveness and perceived threat of the Border Collie. The geese believe the Border Collie is a predator.

"We plan on using them for a three-month trial basis, after which we'll evaluate the plan to see how effective it is," Fronckwicz said.