Feeding the ducks at Cottonwood Island Park to help them survive the frigid temperatures has been the routine for longtime volunteers Brock Bailey and Paul Cailleaux for about eight years.
But this year is a little different. It’s the shortest duck-feeding season in recent history, Bailey said.
“We started feeding the ducks just before the deep freeze set in not two weeks ago,” Cailleaux said. “And this is only our second time out here.”
They brought along reinforcements with Cailleaux’s granddaughter, Annie Cailleaux-Cauley, helping out with the schlepping of the pails of feed that covers the ground on the frozen river so the birds can chow down.
There are only about 200 ducks who stayed in Prince George this year compared to last year that saw twice as many. The mild winter allowed more ducks to bulk up for the long migration south this year, where last year winter hit hard and early keeping more birds in the frozen north.
Keeping the ducks alive at Cottonwood Island Park is a priority for Cailleaux and Bailey, volunteers from Ducks Unlimited Canada, but it takes the community to help provide the means.
What the volunteers are doing in Cottonwood Island Park will help keep that population of ducks surviving the winter.
“A lady just walked by and she said she appreciates what we’re doing,” Bailey said. “That was very nice to hear.”
To help ease the burden of the cost of feeding the ducks Pacific Western Brewery and Four Rivers Co-Op, formerly Spruce Capital Feeds, are once again helping out as much as they can.
“Pacific Western Brewery and the Co-Op are really community minded and really stepped up again this year and we thank them very much," Bailey said.
In the meantime, the duck feeders are looking for people to donate to Four Rivers Co-Op as Cailleaux and Brock pay for the feed themselves.
Brock and Cailleaux are asking the community to donate to the cause by visiting the feed store at 1694 Quinn and make a contribution to help offset the costs of the bags of barley used during the feeding season.
The volunteers also ask those visiting Cottonwood Island to please keep their dogs from chasing the ducks because the energy the ducks expend trying to stay safe is energy they should be using to survive the winter.
