DUCK RELEASE DAY
A long-standing tradition at St. Peter is the springtime duck visit to the courtyard. Since at least the 1990’s, a female duck has laid her eggs in the St. Peter courtyard each spring. A few weeks ago, Laverne, a female duck, returned to the St. Peter courtyard to lay her eggs. Laverne has been coming to the courtyard for at least eight years to lay her eggs and raise her ducklings. For the past eight years, Mr. Vossel has lovingly cared for the family of ducks and then escorted them out of the courtyard when they were big enough to fend for themselves. Wednesday, May 26, was the day of the duck release.
After feeding and caring for the ducks for the past couple of weeks, even supplying them with a pool to swim in and a castle to play in, it was time for Mr. Vossel to help the ducks move out of the courtyard. The classes were invited to line the sidewalks and interior windows to watch as Mr. Vossel and the facilities team guided the duck family through the courtyard door, into the hall, and out the exterior door. Once the ducks got through the school doors and out into the bushes, Mrs. Vossel, Mr. Vossel's wife, took over.
Mrs. Vossel followed the ducks at a safe distance, staying about two houses behind them. They walked down Highland Avenue to Thomas Street. At that point, to ensure their safety, Mrs. Vossel stopped traffic on Thomas to allow mom and her 11 babies to cross the street safely. They made it across and continued on their way to the pond at Hasbrook Park. Once they were safely swimming in the pond, Mrs. Vossel left them to adjust to their new home.
It has been such fun to watch the ducklings grow. Kids and staff were drawn to the courtyard windows each day to look out to see what they were doing. Thank you to Bob Vossel for taking such good care of them. Thank you to Barb Vossel for ensuring their safe travels to Hasbrook Park. With such caring and dedicated handlers, Laverne will undoubtedly make her annual trek back to St. Peter's courtyard again next spring!
