Ducks and other wildfowl at Lurgan Park are benefiting from a new environmentally friendly feed station.
Over the last few months more and more people have been using the Duck Feeder to feed the many birds which call the park home.
The purpose of the feeder is also to discourage people from feeding bread and other potentially harmful scraps to the ducks and wildfowl. Bread can fill up the birds quickly and will stop them from foraging naturally. Bread does not contain the suitable levels of proteins and minerals which the birds need.
Lord Mayor of ABC Borough, Cllr Sarah Duffy visited the park along with her two daughters Emily and Lucia and paid her £1 via the contactless system for a portion of duck food.
She said: “This is a fantastic initiative and one which has real benefits for our wildlife and the environment.
“With the Christmas holidays coming up I am sure many people might consider taking a trip down to the park to feed the ducks, but it’s important that they don’t bring along bread or other scraps as they can cause more harm than good.”
The duck feeder at Lurgan Park was supplied and is managed by The Feed Ducks Initiative, who say their feeders help reduce plastic litter waste, as the feed is dispensed to hand. The quality nutritious feed is dispensed in smaller quantities that is healthy for the local wildlife and reduces significant overfeeding.
The solar-powered feeder is made from the equivalent to 20,000 plastic bottles. Other benefits include improved water quality by preventing rotting food build-up, and a reduction in vermin population.
