Simply ducky
From left, Bud Spears, Ken Cranmer and Rick Alexander, residents of Concordia Lutheran Ministries in Jefferson Township, work to cover a storm drain grate to prevent ducklings from falling in after a heavy rain. Spears initiated the project and Alexander took it over. Paula Grubbs/Butler Eagle
JEFFERSON TWP – A handful of residents of Concordia Lutheran Ministries' large Marwood Road campus can be seen this time of year waddling around the property with wire mesh, tin snips and zip ties, but don't think they are “quacks.” acts.
Concerned about the possibility and actual history of ducklings falling into the many storm drain gates on campus, resident Bud Spears and caretaker Max Baptiste began working together to make the storm drain grids safe after the nature-loving residence – and residential area a near tragedy had occurred at a skilled nursing facility.
“In 2019 we lost a few ducks in a storm drain and had to fish them out,” Spears said.
Spears began scouring the campus for some type of netting that could cover some storm drains while ensuring that storm water could continue to flow freely into the sewers.
In March 2019, Spears collected what he calls “rat wire” from the large garden on campus, cut it to fit six storm drains, covered the drains and laid bricks or large stones on top of it hold on to the net.
“And we didn’t lose any ducks,” Spears said.
“I thought it was a good idea because one time they had to call the fire department because there were ducks (in a storm drain) and we couldn't get them out,” Baptiste said.
Shortly thereafter, as Spears was throwing seeds to the ducks in the campus' large pond, he met resident Rick Alexander, who was walking his dog on the paved path surrounding the pond.
He told Alexander about his mission to cover the bars and save the ducks, and until 2021, Alexander led the program.
“The idea was I wanted to add five (grate covers) a year,” Alexander said.
Today, with the help of Baptiste and a handful of other residents, the men installed 50 covers over the stormwater drain grates on the Concordia campus.
Spears said Alexander went from weighing down the grate covers with bricks — which sometimes posed a challenge for landscapers mowing lawns — to using plastic zip ties to secure them to the grates.
The group of men also repairs damaged netting and puts pieces of netting together to create a sheet large enough to cover a storm drain.
They have never purchased rat wire for their project.
“We found it at the top of the trash heap or down in the yard,” Spears said.
Alexander said it takes about 20 minutes to cover a storm drain, so the 50 grates are all covered in about two weeks in the spring.
“This doesn’t cover all of them, but it does cover the ones that the ducklings are most likely to fall into,” he said.
Alexander created a map on his computer that shows the locations of every storm drain grate on campus so that those that have been covered can be removed from the list.
The trellises remain in place from late April until fall. They are removed so that they are not plowed up and destroyed by snow removal vehicles in winter.
They will be stored in the maintenance building until next spring.
Spears said the project is important because many ducks roost or roost and nest at Concordia Ponds because the campus is in a “flyway” that the birds use for migration.
Many species of ducks and some Canada geese call Concordia Pond home, where a nest contains a dozen eggs.
The ducks and their young are a delightful source of natural entertainment for Concordia residents, who can obtain a cup of food to place near the pond for the ducks.
Spears said that in the summer, patients from the campus's Lund Building are brought to the pond with personalized and skilled nursing care to enjoy the boisterous ducks and feed them cracked corn.
Unfortunately, the pond is also home to several snapping turtles.
“And they eat duck,” Spears said.
Fortunately, Concordia's duck population is too large to be completely decimated by the snappers, which feed on about half of the ducks that end up on the pond, Alexander said.
Spears said he has noticed an increased duck population on the property since 2019, when the grid cover project began.
“I've seen a lot more little ducks this year than ever before,” said Spears, whose balcony overlooks the pond.
Alexander is pleased to be able to run the program now to ensure the safety of all ducks.
“Bud inspired me,” he said of his decision to take over the program. “He’s a real hero here.”
The duck-loving group's efforts haven't gone unnoticed by Concordia officials.
“Concordia is blessed to support both our residents and our staff in caring for God’s creatures,” said Connor Hagey, retirement community director at Concordia Lutheran Ministries.
An example of the grid covers used at Concordia Lutheran Ministries' residential campus in Jefferson Township. The covers allow water to drain into storm drains but also prevent ducklings from falling into them. Paula Grubbs/Butler Eagle
Bud Spears tries to hand-feed a pair of ducks. Spears initiated a conservation project at Concordia Lutheran Services in Jefferson Township that prevents ducklings from falling into storm drain grates on the large campus. Paula Grubbs/Butler Eagle
The many ducks that live at Concordia Lutheran Services' residential campus in Jefferson Township have wide open spaces where they can forage for food in the grass or swim in a large or small pond. Paula Grubbs/Butler Eagle
From left, Bud Spears, Ken Cranmer and Rick Alexander, residents of Concordia Lutheran Ministries in Jefferson Township, work to cover a storm drain grate to prevent ducklings from falling in after a heavy rain. Spears initiated the project and Alexander took it over. Paula Grubbs/Butler Eagle
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