The Feed Ducks Initiative, a pioneering project dedicated to making duck feeding in public spaces more sustainable, is being embraced by parks across the UK as the unique solution offers a solar-powered feeder that helps significantly reduce bad duck feeding habits such as bread feeding and subsequently improve water quality, improve the health of ducks and supports local parks with proceeds from sales.
Southchurch Park is using the device to help support the park, and improve water quality and duck health.
The Initiative has also announced a strategic partnership with Place Informatics. This collaboration leverages cutting-edge visitor data analytics to expand the deployment of solar-powered duck feed dispensers across parks and green spaces throughout the UK.
Southchurch Park – Southend on Sea
Place Informatics, a leading provider of visitor data analytics, provides unique insights into foot traffic patterns and visitor behaviour in parks and green spaces. By utilising this data, the Feed Ducks Initiative can help councils strategically understand how the park and feeding areas are currently being utilised, the benefits of the dispenser solution and how it can support and improve these important community locations.
The Feed Ducks Initiative offers a unique solution to duck feeding by introducing solar-powered duck feed dispensers to public parks and green spaces with the following benefits to councils and local parks:
Easy to Implement – The feeders which are made from 100% recycled plastic are fully managed by the team or at the discretion of the council, by the local Tidy Towns or Friends of the Park Group
Cost-Free for Councils: The initiative is designed to be financially sustainable, requiring no funding from local councils. This makes it an attractive option for public authorities looking to enhance park amenities without additional budgetary strain.
Supports the Local Parks – The initiative is committed to supporting the local community support with 10% of the proceeds from the duck feed dispensers reinvested into local parks, funding maintenance, improvements, and conservation projects.
Environmental Conservation: The feeders reduce bread feeding and overfeeding in public spaces. As a result, they reduce the amount of foreign feed and rotting excess food that leads to silt build-up in local pond ecosystems and attract vermin. They are also proven to reduce plastic waste in the parks.
Enhanced Duck Health: The nutritionally balanced feed supports the overall health and well-being of ducks, promoting a thriving and balanced ecosystem within parks.
“Our partnership with Place Informatics marks a significant milestone in our mission to promote sustainable duck feeding practices,” said Matthew Knight, Founder of The Feed Ducks Initiative. “We are so grateful for the team’s support and by utilising their visitor data, we can strategically expand our network of solar-powered dispensers, benefiting both the parks, the animals and local communities.”
Place Informatics offers councils, heritage sites and businesses a unique visitor data analytics solution for green spaces with access to footfall data from over 10,000 urban parks, estates, country parks and green spaces across the UK. The datasets show movement insights, environmental engagement, visitor demographics and postcode origin which help with management, maintenance, investment, and even investment and funding.
Clive Hall, CEO of Place Informatics, commented, “We are delighted to be able to support the Feed Ducks Initiative. They are offering a truly innovative solution that not only benefits the animals and parks but can also help local councils to develop parks and green spaces further.
Our green spaces solution is completely unique and allows councils and organisations to understand how their green spaces are being utilised so they can manage, protect and develop them effectively.”
