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Contents Get Along, Li'l Duckies An Illustrious Collection Of Old Boys IIASA Takes First Steps Beyond Détente Report Chides NASA's New Safety System The idea was to enhance the environment. But when Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Lab employees decided to create plush surroundings for a breeding group of nonmigrating Maryland mallards, they didn't count on the problem of homeless ducks. Over the past few years seven domestic geese and six white ducks have been abandoned at the

The Scientist Staff
Oct 1, 1990

Contents
The idea was to enhance the environment. But when Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Lab employees decided to create plush surroundings for a breeding group of nonmigrating Maryland mallards, they didn't count on the problem of homeless ducks. Over the past few years seven domestic geese and six white ducks have been abandoned at the pond, an unwanted addition that has destroyed the pond's delicate ecosystem. "The geese eat plant shoots before they can take hold," says a lab spokesperson, "and summer visitors can't resist feeding them white bread, which harms their gullets." So last month the lab rounded up the nonmallard population and took them to a far-off cove, where lots of space and natural food are available. At last report, all fowl were said to...

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