Wildlife in City Park: Goose Management Program

Vicki Vargas-Madrid, Education and Wildlife Program Manager at Denver Parks and Recreation (DPR) will be the speaker at City Park Friends and Neighbors (CPFAN) January 6 program. Kate Meunier, a Denver Park Ranger and supervisor will be speaking as well. Their main topic is DPR’s Canada Goose Management Program and research project. They will also be talking about the various urban wildlife species that use Denver parks.

Vicki has a BS in Wildlife Management and Criminal Justice (double major) from Metropolitan State College with a Minor in Women’s Studies. She has worked for DPR since 2015 after 33 years with the state – with 18 of those years as a District Wildlife Manager in the Denver metro and Front Range area.

Vicki is focused on the challenging issues facing wildlife management and conservation today, how its changed, and the shift that has taken place over the years.

“As scientists, biologists, wildlife managers…it is so important for us to consider both the human element and the science of wildlife management, and force ourselves to think outside the box and be creative with our ideas and strategies that benefit us all, if we are to make a difference in wildlife conservation today and into the future.”

Please join us for this well-informed and important program. Bring your questions about the “goose collar program” and how you can participate and any other questions you may have. Light refreshments will be served.

Gandalf

In wandering through the geese in City Park, you may have encountered a different kind of goose – a goose with a certain panache and sophistication, a “je ne sais quoi” quality about it.  This is because this particular goose with its handsome large head and white tail feathers is FRENCH. It is a Toulouse Goose — and something more, according to Patrick O’Driscoll, editor of The Lark Bunting Magazine:

“For the record, it was identified by an eBird reviewer as a Graylag X Swan Goose domestic hybrid, but the Aurora woman who released two geese into the park about 15 years ago did call them ‘Toulouse Goose’. It has lived in City Park since 2009, when the woman, who had incubated two eggs given to her by an Eastern Plains farmer, had no room for (raising) young birds in her yard. She named the brothers Randolph and Gandalf. This one is Gandalf. Randolph disappeared in the Spring of 2022,” writes O’Driscoll. For the complete story of Gandalf and Randolph, go to The Lark Bunting Volume 59, Issue 02-03, February-March 2023, pp20-23.

Gandalf and the Canadians

Chief City Park Horticulturist Aaric Stark recounts seeing many interesting animals and birds in City Park. There used to be peacocks from the Denver Zoo who hung out at the Elephant House by Ferril Lake until the Zoo found new homes for these feisty visitors during COVID. Aaric saw foxes and a coyote in the tall grasses south-west of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The coyote started playing with the dog of a park-goer at one point. “She was happy until she saw it was a coyote!,” Aaric remarks.  The new Nature Play project takes up the space where the grasses stood and Aaric has not seen the animals since. However, DPR’s Living Land Project that will turn sections of the meadow of blue grass south of the museum into short grass prairie will attract more animals and bird life to the park.

Aaric loves the eagles that fly over Ferril Lake and perch on the bordering trees and at Duck Lake. He also routinely spots an owl at the City Park Greenhouses. Two pairs of Swainson Hawks laid nests in evergreens on the south side of City Park, off 17^th Avenue last summer. Watching the whole process of birth to flight over many weeks was a delight to park-goers and bird watchers who knew where to look.

The sight of pelicans on Ferril Lake always thrills Aaric. He never knows when they’ll appear. There are also snapping turtles in the lake in mid-June. “We spend a lot of time containing them as they line up outside the bandstand,” says Aaric. “There are Koi fish in the lake and that’s a shame,” he adds. “It’s disrespectful of the park to release unwanted pets here.”

Let us know what animals and birds you’ve seen in City Park at info@cpfan.org. Let the adventure begin!

As I look back on 2025, what stays with me most are not just the meetings or milestones, but the shared moments that quietly unfolded across City Park. The park has been a place of both movement and stillness this year. Children discovering joy on a swing, families gathering for picnics and concerts, runners tracing familiar paths, a mother I overheard in the rose garden asking her child, “What does the yellow one smell like?”, neighbors with cameras ready to capture the poetry of birds. In between the larger events and conversations, our everyday moments remind us why City Park matters so profoundly to our health, our spirit, and our sense of community. The highlights that follow reflect this spirit. What we celebrated together. What we shared, as both stewards and users of this remarkable public space.

City Park Day & Ice Cream Social
CPFAN successfully co-hosted another joyful and well-attended City Park Day and Ice Cream Social, bringing neighbors, partner organizations, and civic leaders together to celebrate City Park’s history, pastoral character, and community spirit.Adopt-a-Flowerbed Stewardship Recognition
CPFAN’s Adopt-a-Flowerbed program continued to thrive in 2025. Denver Parks & Recreation recognized it as the most effective volunteer program in the city, reflecting thousands of hours of dedicated stewardship by neighborhood volunteers.Gate 19 / Zoo West Entrance Advocacy
CPFAN called for a pause on opening the Zoo’s West Entrance (Gate 19) until the proposal can be aligned with the City Park Master Plan, ensuring any future use is appropriate to the park’s design, purpose, and shared use, not simply an expansion of parking or traffic impacts.Support for the Living Land Project
CPFAN supported and helped inform the community about the City Park Living Land Project, engaging residents in understanding its goals of environmental resiliency, native landscape restoration, and respectful cultural interpretation.Celebrating the Opening of Nature Play
CPFAN celebrated the opening of the Nature Play area near the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, marking the successful completion of a long-standing, community-informed project that invites children and families to explore nature.Highlighting Amache Rose
CPFAN highlighted Amache Rose, a project that deepened community understanding of Japanese American incarceration and resilience, connecting City Park programming to broader themes of history, memory, and inclusion.HistoriCorps Lily Pond Restoration
CPFAN communicated and supported the ongoing HistoriCorps restoration of the historic Lily Pond, helping preserve an important and often overlooked feature of City Park’s original landscape design.

Urban Wildlife Awareness & Education
CPFAN amplified community interest in City Park’s rich urban wildlife through educational programming, expert speakers, and shared experiences, including rare bird sightings that drew regional attention to the park’s ecological value.

As we look ahead to 2026, we will see the launch of the Living Land Project and the next chapter of change in City Park. With that come opportunities and responsibilities to listen carefully and to help guide how the park is protected, interpreted, and shared. At CPFAN, we want to hear from you and from the broader community: what matters most to you, where you believe our focus should be, and how we can best serve as a thoughtful partner with the City in stewarding this extraordinary place. Whether your interest is in learning more about the City Park Master Plan, shaping future programs and presentations, volunteering, or even joining our Board, your voice is welcome. City Park has always been shaped by the people who care for it, and we invite you to help us continue that work together in the year ahead.

In closing, I want to thank the CPFAN Board, all of our Adopt-a-Flowerbed volunteers, and community members who give their time and care to City Park. I am especially grateful to Georgia Garnsey for her passion, energy, and steady commitment to this organization and to the park we all share. When the call went out for neighbors to step forward and serve on the Board, I did so gladly, guided by a lifelong ethic of service to both country and community. When Georgia later asked me to serve as President, given our shared passion for City Park, I was honored by her trust and eager to expand that service. I take this role with humility and intention, committed to listening closely and carrying CPFAN’s mission forward with the same spirit of stewardship and community that has long guided this work.

In community,

David Scarbeary, President
City Park Friends & Neighbors
CityParkFANs@gmail.com