Sanctuary trails may be closed due to feeding

RBG has a 27-kilometre-long network of hiking trails through 2,100 acres of nature sanctuaries, their website says, and offers visitors an opportunity to immerse themselves in nature – while only minutes away from the city centre of Hamilton. But the activity of feeding birds and wildlife native to the area is creating a litany of issues. According to the RBG website:

• Squirrels and chipmunks having their diets supplemented means they may not distribute native tree nuts like acorns, walnuts, and hickories – and that can change the structure of the forest over time.
• Leaving birdseed along trails is feeding a “soaring population” of predatory omnivores like skunks, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, and chipmunks. These animals then begin eating turtle and bird eggs – many of whom are species at risk.
• Artificially inflating the populations of these animals leads to a higher concentration of them, increasing stress, aggression, and spread of illness – which negatively impacts the health and welfare of individuals and the entire ecosystem.
• Birds that fill up on seed may not eat the natural foods that provide them with ideal nutrition – ultimately decreasing their health.
• The RBG has found invasive plants like millet growing along trails due to people distributing seed.
• The presence of peanut protein in nature sanctuaries (often left on areas where people may sit, rest, or along trails that are frequently touched) creates a direct hazard for any visitor who has an anaphylactic allergy.