Prospect Park Geese Debate Comes to a Carroll Gardens School

The timing couldn't have been better. The students at wrapped up a project on the Prospect Park geese just 12 hours after news broke that .

"Prospect Park's geese are safe now. I'm very happy," said Zoran Seda, after completing his science presentation on the geese. "I feel bad, they're just animals being animals."

The Brooklyn School for Collaborative Studies curriculum is based on "expeditionary learning." When the students learn about a certain subject, they are thoroughly exposed to it, through fieldwork and classroom speakers. Two weeks ago, the sixth grade science students visited Prospect Park Lake to learn about the geese, and why they had been killed by the federal government last year.

"Because this is something that's occurring now, it makes it more real," said sixth grade teacher Rachel Lane. "It takes the information away from being so abstract, it makes it tangible."

"This was a topic that allowed for critical thinking and expression," she added.

The students learned about the geese and the health hazards, as well as the plane that crashed into the Hudson two years ago because of migratory geese.

Destiny Lopez and Milan Rufus presented their report in the form of a "PSA," or Public Service Announcement. The recorded and edited sound clip could be listened to on headphones. Their suggestion?

"Put them in captivity."

Isaac Cortes stressed the fact that the geese in Prospect Park aren't even migratory geese, which can fly and are thus trouble for airplanes.

"They shouldn't gas the resident geese. They don't go anywhere!" he said.

Another student, Azana Bailey, said she "fully supported" gassing the geese for population control, but said the government should be more open about their actions.

"They should have been honest," she said.

Frank Guzman had another plan for the geese -- use them for food.

"They should go to the homeless," he said. "They should be cooked and given to people who can't support themselves."

Anne-Katrin Titze, a NY State Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator, first told the students about the geese, and gave them the tour of the Prospect Park Lake.

"It's wonderful," she said of the presentations. "It turned out very well."