I am a Mount Holyoke student writing on behalf of community members who are concerned for the safety of wildlife on campus.

On December 9, 2024, our beloved and iconic pilgrim goose, Jorge, passed away after he collided with one of the windows outside the Dining Commons. 

As one of the many first years who adored  this little white goose, who always cheered me up whenever I saw him waddling around campus with his adorable posse of Canada geese, I initially took comfort in the notion that his death was inevitable and that he was experiencing confusion due to old age. 

However, many of us have had to come to terms with the fact that this tragedy was likely preventable.

While the college sent out emails acknowledging Jorge’s passing specifically, I would like to request that the college take action to address the root cause of his death.

Many students and other community members have put in hours of hard work to bring awareness to this issue and actionable solutions. However, many of the windows on campus still remain unsafe for birds.

 
 It is important to remember that this tragedy was not an isolated incident. According to the American Bird Conservancy, recent estimates suggest that glass windows are annually responsible for the death of more than a billion birds. We may not feel a personal connection to each of these countless birds as we did with Jorge, but it is important to remember that many avian species are threatened or endangered. 

I want to emphasize that many studies have suggested that juvenile birds may be disproportionately susceptible to window  collisions. Either way, this issue is clearly unlike natural mechanisms which play a role in natural selection, as many victims are young, healthy birds who likely would have otherwise contributed to reproduction after reaching maturity.

 As students, alums, and community members, we urge Mount Holyoke College to take the following actions: 

1. Install bird strike decals or window screens as soon as possible, prioritizing high-risk zones. 
2. Consider incorporating safety features, such as UV-reflective windows, in future building plans and renovation projects as a longer-term solution (for reference, UV-reflective glass is unobtrusive to the human eye and would address both aesthetic concerns  and bird safety).
3. Provide information and/or resources to encourage students and other community members to take personal action in helping to prevent bird window collisions.

Jorge’s death made many of us feel some sense of helplessness. He was such a special goose who brought immense joy to many, and there is nothing any of us could do to bring him back.

However, as a way to honor Jorge, I hope that we can at least take action to ensure the safety of geese and other birds on campus. As a community, we can do our part in protecting local bird populations.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

 EDIT (5/6/2026): 

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported this petition so far! 

This morning, I edited some of my language for the sake of clarity. I also reorganized each specific action step into a list to better communicate concerns and requests to Facility Management Leaders and anyone else involved in the decision-making process. 

This week, I plan to call the college to clarify whether they already have plans to address this issue, and to make sure this is forwarded to those involved in these types of decisions.

It’s also important to acknowledge the students and those involved in student organizations (namely the Animal Welfare Club), who dedicated time and effort in addressing this issue and raising awareness. For privacy reasons, I won’t list any specific student names here.

I highly recommend reading the article linked below for more comprehensive information on avian window collisions and their broader implications. This article helped inform my awareness and understanding of this issue.

https://www.mountholyokenews.com/environmental/2025/2/8/jorge-one-of-1-billion

(To clarify, the individuals and student organizations associated with the work mentioned above were not involved in creating this petition, and they do not necessarily agree with or endorse any part of this petition).

One of the many reasons I love Mount Holyoke is because of its commitment to conservation and reducing human impact on the environment. I believe that taking action to protect campus birds and reduce the negative impact human infrastructure strongly aligns with the college’s values. 

___________________________

For privacy reasons, I’m not publicly attaching my name to this petition until I confirm a few additional details, but I will make sure to verify my identity with the college.

I do not condone any actions that violate the Mount Holyoke Honor Code, including vandalism of college property. It is also not my intention to disrespect or undermine any individuals involved in or associated with decisions regarding campus facilities or wildlife safety procedures. My intention in sharing this petition is to bring attention to an issue which many people in this community deeply care about, and which I believe the college has the means to effectively address. 

Sources:

https://abcbirds.org/news/bird-building-collisions-study-2024/​

https://abcbirds.org/solutions/preventing-collisions/​

https://www.mountholyokenews.com/environmental/2025/2/8/jorge-one-of-1-billion​

https://www.mountholyokenews.com/news/2024/12/9/jorge-beloved-college-goose-and-unofficial-mascot-dies-after-crashing-into-window​

https://abcbirds.org/news/when-window-collisions-hit-home/​

https://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/rutgers-lib/72720/​

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0306362