Tuleyome’s Science Corner: Snow Geese
Geoffrey Benn • January 13, 2024
Snow goose in flight by Frank Schulenberg
In the Sacramento Valley, we are fortunate to have a year-round calendar of natural wonders to enjoy. One of the highlights of the winter season for me is an annual pilgrimage up I-5 to visit the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge near Willows. SNWR is the winter home to hundreds of thousands of migratory birds, including huge numbers of snow geese. If you’re lucky enough to be on the auto tour route while a flock of snow geese takes off, be sure to roll your windows down to listen, as the din caused by thousands of hungry mouths and flapping black-tipped wings is truly unforgettable.
Flock of snow geese taking off from Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge by Geoff Benn
Snow geese ( Anser caerulescens ) are a medium-sized species of goose that can be found in great numbers in certain parts of North America. They are migratory birds that breed during the summer months in the far northern reaches of Alaska, Canada, and Greenland, and then travel south to the continental US and Mexico for the winter months. The species is split into two subspecies, based on geography – the lesser snow goose winters in Mexico and the western and central US, whereas the greater snow goose winters along the Atlantic coast of the US.
Wintering grounds are not just a place to find food during the cold months – they’re also where snow geese find their mates. Snow geese mate for life and typically choose their partners during their third or fourth winters. Each year in the early spring, the pairs will return to the same area of the far north where the female was hatched to build their own nest.
Historically, snow geese are believed to have relied on wetlands in their wintering grounds for food, but most now derive the bulk of their winter nutrition from leftover grain in farm fields. The great abundance of this food source led to a significant increase in the population of snow geese in the second half of the 20th century, going from as little as a few thousand individuals in 1900 to over 5 million today. This dramatic population increase resulted in significant damage to vegetation in the winter nesting grounds of snow geese, posing a threat to other species that use these same areas. To counter this danger, increased snow goose hunting quotas were implemented in the late 1990s. Populations have since stabilized, though still at a higher level than desired by wildlife managers. The short-term outlook is thus very good for snow geese, though climate change may pose significant challenges in the future, with a predicted loss of 73% of their range under a +2.0C global warming scenario.
If you’d like to see the snow geese for yourself, the best time to see large numbers of them at SNWR is from November through early March. It’s a great way to get outside and enjoy nature when hiking trails are muddy or covered in snow.
-Geoff Benn gbenn@tuleyome.org
Tuleyome Education Associate
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A lot has happened in the Public Lands space since our last Policy Corner. Doug Burgum took his role as the 55th Secretary of the Interior, and Kathleen Sgamma received confirmation to head the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The House Natural Resources Committee has held several oversight hearings on topics ranging from selling off public lands to establish American Energy Dominance , defunding federal agencies such as BLM as a method to incentivize Multiple Land Use by private companies and undercutting the efficacy of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and calling it a “needed reform”. Through questionable actions made by DOGE, we have also seen thousands of Forest Service, BLM and National Park employees fired and, through court order, rehired . With all this chaos happening far and near, the real question becomes: What does all this chaos mean for Californians? Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land is concentrated in 12 western states. 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While it may not be as visible, the presence of BLM and U.S Forest Service also creates jobs in California and positively contributes to the local economies of our communities and the overall economic strength of California as a whole. Public Lands are more than recreation; they create employment opportunities and contribute to economic prosperity. Despite National Monument and public lands holding immense value in the hearts and minds of Californians and the American people in general, our public lands are being threatened. It was announced earlier in the month that DOGE plans to close federal offices across the United States. One of the offices that has been targeted to close is the Ukiah BLM office . The Ukiah BLM office plays a significant role in coordinating protection for the federal lands in California ranging from the intercostal mountain range and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, which includes the Mendocino forest. 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Each time we engage in these efforts, Tuleyome is representing our diverse community and advocating on behalf of the land we love, but we could still use more help in amplifying the importance and love of our public lands. I want to thank everyone who has been emailing and asking how to help advocate for our public lands. All of us have the ability to advocate for keeping our public lands in the hands of the public; together, we have strength, and we can amplify our voices. For those of you who are interested in getting involved, there are many ways to help out. Some of the most impactful efforts include calling your state and federal representatives. Elected officials want to hear from you. Calling elected officials leads to impact; each call is documented and reviewed. It is one of the best methods for elected officials to keep record of what their constituents care about. I want to urge our readers to call your representatives, and it's okay to call multiple times. Each time you call, it is documented and demonstrates the urgency associated with the cause. Even if you called once before, call again and keep calling. Reaching out to friends, family members, and community groups and encouraging them to call their representatives is a powerful way to advocate. Don't know who your representative is? No problem—use these links to find both state and federal representatives by using your zip code. You can also send letters to elected officials. Using this link , you have the chance to send a letter to your elected officials and customize what you want to say about public lands. We encourage folks to use these grassroots options and join the fight to keep our public lands public. All of us have the ability to advocate for our public lands and its resources – wildlife, flora, fauna, water and culture. If you're interested in learning more ways to help raise awareness and advocate for your public lands, feel free to reach out to me. 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