A sustainable duck feed dispenser has been installed in Lurgan Park to help make duck feeding in the area more sustainable.
While feeding the ducks has always been a favoured past-time for those out for a stroll in one of our many public spaces, many organisations have warned against the traditional use of a loaf of bread for feeding.
Ducks need a varied diet for their health, with experts saying that bread lacks the nutritional value needed.
It also fills the duck’s stomach, meaning it won’t forage for its natural foods, leading to malnutrition.
Costing £1, the new dispenser provides feeders with a cupful of seed or meal which they can use to feed the ducks and swans safely.
The initiative has been launched in partnership with The Feed Ducks Initiative, an organisation that partners with governing authorities to make duck feeding in public spaces more sustainable.
The Initiative builds, installs and maintains the dispensers, which are solar-powered and operated through contactless payment.
Lurgan Park is the first space in Co. Armagh to receive a dispenser, with others in place in Antrim and Newtownabbey.
According to The Duck Initiative, each feeder is made from recycled plastics equivalent to 20,000 plastic bottles.
The organisation also says that 10% of proceeds are donated back to the community to fund environmental initiatives in public parks.
