Our local parks are a place to gather as a community and enjoy the nature that surrounds us.

However, sometimes the most well-intentioned actions can have unintended consequences. While bird feeding has been linked to local park behavior for some time, it can affect natural ecosystems and even human health.

On Reddit, one local resident issued a plea for strange and harmful behavior to stop at a local park, encouraging other park goers to see the effect it has on the rest of the community.

Contributing to a subreddit focused on the city of London in Ontario, Canada, the original poster shares that animals, geese in particular, go to Harris Park as they have easy access to water and are safe to roost between the path and the edge of the water. The downside of increased numbers in geese is congestion on trail pathways, as well as droppings in public areas.

"Literally nobody wants geese on the trail system or their public park so covered in crap they can't sit on the grass. So, let's please work together, and stop feeding the wildlife," shares the OP in the post's caption.

Despite the ongoing behavior by some park goers, such as the one pictured in the post who allegedly dumps a 20-pound bag of bird feed every other day, a park project has been in place to prevent further geese habitation. This includes naturalizing the shore of the water bank with higher, thick grass, as well as ensuring visitors adhere to caution signage

When it comes to animals in local parks, some innovations have shown to be helpful. Beavers, for example, are known as ecosystem engineers because they help develop wetlands. This helps wildlife such as fish and amphibians to remain in stable populations.

For birds, feeding them can be a delightful way to connect with nature, but it's important to do so responsibly to ensure their safety and that of community members. Using a bird feeder or planting flowers, such as bee balm and zinnias, have shown to maintain biodiversity in local areas while allowing room for others to enjoy nature's beauty.

"The geese don't need us to feed them," wrote one Reddit user.

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"I always wondered why there were so many geese and ducks there," commented another.

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