The Student Newspaper of Cathedral Catholic High School

Dons Press

The Student Newspaper of Cathedral Catholic High School

Dons Press

The Student Newspaper of Cathedral Catholic High School

Dons Press

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Seagulls attracted to student trash

Seagulls attracted to student trash

Since Cathedral Catholic opened, students have had to fear the flocks of seagulls that plague the campus. The birds perch on top of the buildings, swooping in to steal food and defecate on people and belongings. Many measures have been taken to rid of the seagulls, and students can help by picking up their trash.

In May of 2012, seven Bird X Pro Peller systems, small devices that mimic sounds from predatory birds to scare away seagulls, were installed for a total of roughly $1,050 each. Although these machines have “had some success in the past,” according to Principal Mr. Michael Deely, the “sound devices are seeming to lack impact.”

Additionally, the school has installed trash cans with flip lids to prevent the birds from scavenging through them, yet these are useless if students do not throw away their trash.

Some students say that while the seagull problem will never completely disappear, throwing away trash will improve it. Becca Love, student victim of seagull defecation, said that “If students pick up their trash… the problem would be slightly improved,” yet “the reality is that we are a school by the beach and there are going to be a lot of seagulls on campus.”

Other students, such as Paige Haley, cite trash as the main cause of the seagull issue. Haley said, “If kids cleaned up their trash more, the seagulls would never be swarming the campus.”

Mr. Deely and AP Environmental Science teacher Mrs. Terry Annicchiarico share Haley’s feelings. Mrs. Annicchiarico says the main problem stems from the “garbage on the ground from the same group of students in the same places around the campus.” She suggested that teachers should give detentions to students who do not throw away their trash, requiring them to pick up trash around the school on the assigned day. In conjunction with the use of detentions, she suggested educating students on the negative impact of littering seagull-attracting trash, perhaps with the help of CCTV, who could film students during break and lunch, especially in the most trash-infested areas.

One school with a similar situations has effectively fought off the birds. Carlsbad High School, also near the beach, strings fishing wire across their quad, scaring away seagulls that are surprised to be blocked by the transparent threads.

Love and Haley, among many other students, are fearful of the birds.

“Every day at lunch I am shielding my head because I’m terrified of getting pooped on again,” said Haley.

“I try to avoid the seagulls as much as I can,” said Love.

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Seagulls attracted to student trash