Thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, my partner and I were grateful to Fahnestock State Park for allowing hikers to camp overnight. Arriving around 5 p.m., we swam at the lake and admired a family of geese, who were carefully looking after their chicks. We then went to the bathrooms to change when a park employee asked everyone to exit the park. As we packed up our things, the employee told us we didn’t have to rush, but that the public needed to evacuate, so they wouldn’t be present when the wildlife exterminator arrived to“get rid of the geese.” We were told not to be alarmed if we heard a shotgun being fired. We were also informed that it is“normal” for geese to be killed in parks throughout NY. If innocent beings are killed in public places, the public has a right to know. While visitors can come and go to parks as they please, the geese consider these places their home to raise their babies. We contacted several local rehabilitation services, who said they do in fact relocate and rehabilitate geese. The park staff said they have not considered an alternative to killing.“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.