The non-lethal cannon is fired multiple times per day in a field near The Green
By SYDNEY AMESTOY — campus@theaggie.org
A noisemaker was recently installed in a research field off of Hutchinson Drive near The Green at West Village. According to a press release from the university courtesy of News and Media Relations Specialist Andy Fell, the noisemaker is designed to scare away migratory geese from disturbing the different studies on grain conducted off of and around Hutchinson and Olive Drive.
The Canadian geese flock to this region as part of their migratory patterns, land and destroy crops in these fields, the press release states.
The noisemaker, a propane-powered cannon, is common in agricultural settings and uses propane to create a non-lethal boom to scare off the geese. Installed at the beginning of March, it has been firing multiple times a day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will continue through the end of spring quarter.
The process leading up to the installation of this propane cannon involved many meetings with environmental and wildlife experts to determine the best solution without impacting too much of the surrounding habitats, according to the press release. However, UC Davis researchers are still investigating the environmental impact of the cannon, and its usage — including the hours it is operated — could be subject to change.
Residents at The Green at West Village received an email informing them of the disturbance.
“I haven’t really noticed it because I’m never really home, so the hours don’t really bother me,” Melissa Garcia, a second-year human development major said.
Second-year biopsychology student and resident of The Green Clara Morales offered a similar view to Garcia.
“It’s very difficult to not notice the noise every now and then, since The Green and Davis itself are very quiet,” Morales said. “[However,] the noise is so minimal that it’s worth the small price of silence every now and then for the knowledge being gained from the research conducted.”
Written by: Sydney Amestoy — campus@theaggie.org
