When coming up the AHC drive in the morning, some familiar faces can be seen. The geese, deer, and foxes that live on the AHC campus have become an ever present piece of the AHC daily experience. They are a truly endearing addition to the campus.

While living on the property, though, they can be quite disruptive. According to Facilities Director Edward Dayhoff, “The geese, as you can tell, they come in and do their business. We are trying to get the grass to grow, and they are eating it.”

The deer also eat the shrubs and the maintenance crew has to find deer-repellent shrubbery options, which is difficult since deer eat nearly everything.

The worst season is Winter. Dayhoff said,“The winter because they are foraging, searching for every little bit of food, and getting desperate, so then eating shrubs that they usually would not, and generally being more destructive.”

The animals can also pose as a threat to those driving to the school. AHC parent, Patricia Buziak warned,  “You have to be alert so that you do not have a collision with the animals.”

The geese are notorious for being able to draw attention to themselves. Riana Tadonki recounts, “During my religion class a few weeks ago, there was a group of geese standing on the building. Everyone looked because the were interested in how they got up there. It did not really interrupt the class, though, because even the teacher was amazed at how they got up there.”

Likewise, on a ledge of the building in the theater courtyard, geese have built a nest and sitting on an egg they laid. It is unknown the exact number of them in the nest, but it is thought that there is only one. This has happened every year for about 5 years.

In the weeks before spring break, according to John Sullivan, their aggressiveness was very bad. Now, mother goose is calming down.

The nest will eventually be removed by government conservation officials will come to move it to the ground for the safety of the chick/s. Until then, the Moroe Options Program girls will be writing a story about the geese family.

Although the animals do cause problems for the school, there are still good reasons to be happy about these geese, foxes, and deer.

Buziak said, “I enjoy watching them. I think they make great greeters.”

Dayhoff reflected, “I love seeing them, but they create problems for AHC, and they damage the property. They are beautiful to see visually.”

Tadonki put it best, “They contribute to the environment around AhC. This is their natural habitat, without them it would not be the same.”