Last night our beloved campus goose, Jorge, died after crashing into a window. Jorge’s death has shaken the campus, with a memorial put up this morning outside of Blanchard Hall to remember him. 

Jorge’s fate is tragic, still, he is one of many birds to face such a tragedy. The Massachusetts Audubon Society reports that hundreds of millions of birds die yearly due to window collisions. Jorge is not the first bird to die from a window collision on campus and I fear he will not be the last. 

Earlier this year, I found a dead bird right underneath the glass bridge between Kendade and Clapp. This bridge is one of a few buildings with window stickers meant to deter birds from flying into them, but it has been proven that this is not enough. 

In the email sent out last night, the college made a note that Jorge is a representative of the campus’s flourishing biodiversity and that we must remember to reflect on this environment that makes our campus so special. This petition calls on the college to continue to cherish our ecosystem by promoting a campus that is safe for all animals. Including working on projects to continue to prevent bird collisions.

Let his death not be in vain. 

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