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DearReaders,ThisisastoryabouthowBarbaraDucklearnedthateatingbreadisdangerousforherandherduckfriends.ThestorywastoldtomebymyGrandmother.Ihopeyoulikeit.Ihopeyouwillhelpprotectourducks.Sincerely,BrendaBribiescaNoMoreBreadforBarbaraHowBarbaraDucklearnedthateatinghumanfoodisdangerousforherandherfriends.astoldtoBrendaBribiescabyGerrieSchipske

RESOURCESFourReasonsNottoFeedWildlife:TheHumaneSocietyhttp://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/feed_wildlife.htmlNationalGeographicEducationBlog:StopFeedingDucksBreadhttps://blog.education.nationalgeographic.org/2017/03/27/stop-feeding-ducks-bread/USDepartmentofAgriculture:Don'tFeedtheWildlifehttps://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/sa_program_overview/ct_dontfeedwildlifeAudubonSocietyofPortland:PleaseDon'tFeedWaterfowlhttps://audubonportland.org/wcc/urban/waterfowl

ANotefromNurseDuckandtoParentsandTeachersPleasehelpourducksandbirdsstayhealthyinourparksandponds.Whenyoufeedthemhumanfood,especiallybreadorcrackers,thiscancauseheartdisease,liverproblems,bonedeformitiesandotherhealthcomplications.Breadhasveryfewnutrientsandcangetcompactedinabird'scrop.Manybirdrescuecenterssee"bread-impactedcrop"insickanddistressedparkducks.Breadislowinproteinandcontainsadditivesthatwildfowlarenotbuilttocopewith.Itisaverypoorsubstitutefornaturalfoods.Whenbreadhasmoldfungus(thatyuckylookingblackorgreenmold),theduckscandiequickly.Duckswhoarefedbyhumansbecomeunnaturallyaggressivetowardseachotherandanuisancetohumans.Whenhumanfoodisbroughttotheparkorpond,youngerducksdonotlearnhowtoforagenaturallyandsometimescannotcompetewithotherducksforfood.Sometimestherearesomanypeoplefeedingtheducksthatuneatenfoodislefttorot.Decayingfoodpollutesthewaterandattractsrats.Ducksandgeeseandratswilldefecatewheretheyfeed,oftenatthepond'sedgewhereyoustand.

right2018Themoreyoufeedthem,themoretheyeat.Themoretheyeat,themorefecesareleftaroundandinthepond.Thisisnotexactlyahealthyenvironmentforyouandyourchildren.Whenthefooddecaysinthepond,itcanhelpalgaegrowwhichthenblocksoxygenfromkeepingthepondsafeforthewildfowl.Lettheduckseatgrassandbugs.Ifyoumustfeedthem,givethemlettuceorseeds.Pleasedonotfeedthembread,crackers,chips,friesorpeanuts.BarbaraDuckandIthankyou.

Once upon a time,Barbara Duck andherfamilylivednearWillowPond.Every day, BarbaraDuckandherfriendswould paddle theirway across WillowPond to their schoolattheotherend.

Sometimestheywouldtakeashort-cutacrosstheparktotheareawherethevisitorscamewithbagsoffoodforthemtoeat.BarbaraDuck'sfriendswouldeatthebread,crackers,popcorn,chips,andevenFrenchfries.ButBarbaraDuckdidnotusuallyeatthesethings.

That'sbecauseBarbaraDuck'smotherwasaNurseDuckandknewwhatcouldhappen.ShemadeitcleartoBarbaraDuckthathumanfoodcouldmakehervery,verysick."Idon'twantyoustoppingattheparkforanyofthatjunkfoodthevisitorsbring,"hermotherwarned."Thatfoodisnothealthyforhumansandiscertainlynothealthyforducks!"

Oneday,BarbaraDuckandherfriendswerechasingeachotheracrossthepondwhentheysawafamilyofvisitors."Oh,lookattheducks,"saidalittleboy.

"Let'sgivethemallthebread.Theylooksoveryhungry."Suddenly,thelittleboyturnedoverthebigbrownbagfullofpiecesofbread.Thebreadfelltothegroundandsomeofitlandedinthepond.

BarbaraDuckandherfriendshadneverseensomuchbreadatonetime.Therewasbreadeverywhere.Bigchunks.Littlepieces.Somepieceswerefloatingonthewater.OtherpiecesbrokeapartjustinchesawayfromwhereBarbaraDuckwasswimming.

BarbaraDuckandherfriendsatethebreadsofastthattheydidnotevennoticethatsomeofthebreadwascoveredwithmold."Idonotfeelsogood,"latercriedBarbaraDuck."Wedonotfeelverywelleither,"criedherfriends."Weneedtogohome,"theyallquacked.

JustasBarbaraDuckandherfriendswerebeginningtoheadtowardhome,avisitorreachedouttopetthem.Oneofthelargerducksbecamefrightened.Thelargerducksnappedatthevisitor'shandtomakehergoaway."Quack,quack,"criedBarbaraDuckatthevisitor.

"Youareverybadducks,"scoldedthevisitor,assheshutthecardooranddroveawayfromthepond.BarbaraDuckknewshewasintroublethemomentshewaddleduptohermother."Wherehaveyoubeen,BarbaraDuck?"askedhermother."EveryoneatWillowPondheardthevisitorsyelling.Youweren'toverthere,wereyou?"BeforeBarbaraDuckcouldanswer,hermotherreachedoverandtouchedherhead."Areyoufeelingokay?"hermotherasked.BarbaraDuckthoughtforamoment.Shewishedshehadnevereatenthebread.Shehopedhermotherwouldneverfindoutwhatshehaddone.ButBarbaraDuckknewitwasimportanttotellthetruth.

"IamsosorryMama,buttherewassomuchbread,"saidBarbaraDuck."Ittastedsogood.Well,mostofittastedgood.Someofittastedawful.""Yucky,yuck,"criedherfriends."Ifeelalittlesick,Mama,"whisperedBarbaraDuck."Wedonotfeelsogoodeither,"criedherfriends.

BarbaraDucktriedtoexplainthateveryonewaseatingthebreadatthepond."Mama,eventheoldgeesewereeatingit.Thebreadwaseverywhere,"saidBarbaraDuck."BarbaraDuck,thoseoldgeesearesillytoeatthebread.Andjustbecauseothersweredoingwhatyouhavebeentoldnottodo,doesnotmakeitright,"saidMamaDuck.

MamaDuckputBarbaraDuckandherfriendsinasafeplaceandstartedquackingloudlysothatPattytheParkRangerwouldhearherandcomehelp.Momentslater,PattytheParkRangerwalkedovertoBarbaraDuck'shomeandasked"whatisallthenoiseabout?"MamaDuckquackedevenlouder.

PattytheParkRangerbentdownandsawfourveryillduckshuddledtogether.Shepickedthemupandsaid"Let'sgetyoutotheduckdoctor."Allthemotherduckswereveryworriedabouttheirlittleducks.ButtheyknewPattytheParkRangerwouldtakegoodcareofthem.BarbaraDuckandherfriendsstayedattheduckhospitalforseveraldays.

TheduckDoctortoldPattytheParkRangerthat something had to be done to stopvisitors from feeding the ducks and otherbirds."Breadissobadfortheducks.Itgetsstuckin their stomach and does other harmfulthings,"explainedtheduckDoctor."I will put up signs around the pond thattell visitors what you just told me," saidPatty.

IMPORTANTNOTICEIt'sverykindofyou,butpleasedon'tfeedusbread.Breadcancauseillnessanddeformitiesinourducklings.Itcanpollutethewatermakingitharmfultodogsandotheranimals.Itencouragesrats&gullswhoattackouryoungwildlifeButwedolike:Seeds*Lettuce*PeasQUACK!

As Patty the Park Ranger was putting upsignsaroundthepond,shewasstoppedbyavisitorholdingabagofbread."I do not think it is fair that we can't feedthe ducks," complained the visitor. "Myfamily and I have been coming to the pondfor years. We enjoy throwing bread into thewaterandwatchingtheducksswimtogetit""I know you mean well,"replied Patty. "Butwhen wild ducks are fed human food theybecome ill. Bread has few nutrients and itgets compacted in a duck's crop -- which isanotherwordforstomach."ThevisitoraskedPattywhytheducksactasif they are hungry. "They run up to usquackingforfood,"saidthevisitor."They are hungry because they are eatingbreadinsteadofplantsandbugs,"saidPatty.

"Thebreadisalsobadforthehealthofthepond,"Patty explained. "The water in thepondgetspollutedbecausesomeofthefoodbrought by visitors decays and turns intobacteria. The food also attracts rats andmanyotherbirdswholeavetheirdroppingsaround and in Willow Pond. This is nothealthyforanyone.""Oh,wedidn'tknow,"sighedthevisitor.

"I guess if we really care about the ducks,we need to stop feeding them and let themreturn to their natural habits," said thevisitor as he handed the bag of bread toPattytheParkRanger."Thankyou,"saidPatty. "Thereisalist ofsafefoodsyoucanbringtothepondonthesigns around the pond. Please tell yourfriends."

Barbara Duck heard what Patty the ParkRangersaidtothevisitor."I guess Mama Duck was right," saidBarbaraDuck."Nomorebreadforme."

DearReaders,ThisisastoryabouthowBarbaraDucklearnedthateatingbreadisdangerousforherandherduckfriends.ThestorywastoldtomebymyGrandmother.Ihopeyoulikeit.Ihopeyouwillhelpprotectourducks.Sincerely,BrendaBribiescaNoMoreBreadforBarbaraHowBarbaraDucklearnedthateatinghumanfoodisdangerousforherandherfriends.astoldtoBrendaBribiescabyGerrieSchipske