Resident Link: Landings at the Preserve - Battle Creek, MI | Associated Estates Realty Corporation

Associated Estates, Great Living - It's What We Do

	Something to think about
	Think About It!
Think About It! The apartment you looked at today and want to think about until tomorrow….maybe the same apartment someone else looked at yesterday and will rent today!! Just think about it….you could be living here!

	The geese are here already!
	People have always enjoyed feeding the geese, duck or any other birds that may land at The Landings. They believe they are doing the birds a favor, helping them out. What they do not realize is that feeding these birds is detrimental to them and the
People have always enjoyed feeding the geese, duck or any other birds that may land at The Landings. They believe they are doing the birds a favor, helping them out. What they do not realize is that feeding these birds is detrimental to them and the environment in many ways. Waterfowl have an incredible ability to survive and avoid harsh weather conditions; They migrate hundreds of miles south to warmer climate for the winter, where food is abundant. For all waterfowl, the abundance of naturally occurring food and the quality of their diet are the main driving forces behind the bird’s ability to survive. FOOD QUALITY IS CRITICAL Geese require proper nutrition to survive. The diet of young birds must be high in essential fats, proteins and nutrients to ensure proper development. Adults need a nutrient rich diet in order to replace feathers, and recondition their bodies after migration and during breeding cycles. People unknowing harm waterfowl by hand feeding them food or seed that is low in nutritional value. When geese feed on bread or seed they may stop eating natural food sources which are more nutritious. The geese may become malnourished and there have been cases of geese chocking on wads of bread. Geese should only be eating high nutritious foods like: Insects, Grasses and Submerged Aquatic Plants. Some problems associated with feeding waterfowl include: Malnutrition Through evolution, wildlife species have developed skills to obtain food that contains essential nutrients needed to survive. These skills maintain a balance between animals and their natural habitat. The balance is compromised by hand feeding, which is physically harmful to birds and is one of the primary causes to malnutrition. Natural foods are widely scattered and geese are able to find these foods and eat them in relative seclusion. At artificial feeding sites, competition for each scrap is high, leading to fights among the geese and some unable to compete for a hand out. Dependency Geese can rapidly become dependent on hand outs. Fed geese behave differently. They become more aggressive and eventually lose their wariness of humans. Some will not survive because they can’t compete. Their loss of natural fear of humans can create aggressive behavior and can delay halting of migration to natural wintering nesting sites. Disease Lowered nutrition and overpopulation allow disease to spread more quickly, potentially infecting thousands of geese with fatal diseases. These risks increase at sites where populations become concentrated from people feeding the geese. This is because the geese are eating scattered corn and bread from the same site that they are defecating. Most waterfowl die-offs in the past 10 years have involved artificial feeding. Environmental Degradation Feeding attracts geese in unnatural numbers, beyond natural food and water supplies, and frequently in numbers beyond what people will tolerate. High concentrating of geese causes overgrazing of vegetation, leading to soil erosion. It also causes degradation of the landscape, making it undesirable for others and unsightly to humans and causes unsanitary conditions due to the large quantities of bird feces. Water Pollution Increased Hybridization Residents feeding the Canada geese at our pond contribute significantly to water pollution in the form of coliform bacteria. As a direct consequence of the concentration of this organic matter, the pond suffers from the excess nitrogen that subsequently runs off the land during storms and irrigation. Too many nutrients in the pond then lead to an overgrowth of algae. Which block the sunlight from, entering the pond and thereby, adversely affects the fish and causes the pond to become over run with weeds. Delayed Migration Feeding alters normal migration patterns of geese. Geese reluctant to leave in the winter, may not survive sudden cold. Overcrowding in Unnatural Sites Feeding attracts birds in unnatural numbers, beyond natural food and water supplies, and frequently in numbers beyond what people will tolerate. Many areas have been forced to close down until goose droppings can be cleaned up. Artificial feeding attracts geese to unnatural feeding sites which can lead to their death. Costly Management Efforts Many damage-avoidance techniques such as chemical repellents, fencing, noise makers are costly and may even be useless once animals loose their fear of humans. At times it is necessary to destroy nuisance geese because of the damage they cause. Devaluation The value of wildlife is often reduced when numbers swell. When any wildlife population exceeds the number that can be naturally supported by available habitat, this can polarize the public and exaggerate conflicts between landowners who suffer damage and those who visit and feed the geese. Help Keep Our Wild Geese Wild! If you care for the geese, here is what you can do to maintain their well-being. STOP FEEDING THEM! They don’t understand the problem but you do.

	Spring has officially arrived
	Spring has officially arrived in Battle Creek and we wanted to take a moment to thank you for choosing The Landings at the Preserve as your home. We take pride in providing a clean comfortable home for all our residents, but to do this we all must wo
Attention Resident(s); Spring has officially arrived in Battle Creek and we wanted to take a moment to thank you for choosing The Landings at the Preserve as your home. We take pride in providing a clean comfortable home for all our residents, but to do this we all must work together. The flowers are beginning to bloom but to keep them looking beautiful we ask that dog owners walk their animals away from these beds. We also want to remind you that we require that all pet owners pick up after their pets, neglecting this is unsightly and causes an unpleasant odor for our residents. If you happen to see another resident not picking up after their pet please feel free to call the office, all reports are confidential. With the warmer weather arriving balconies and patios are being put to use, because these are visible to guests we ask our residents follow a few guidelines for their use. Patios and balconies are not to be used for storage of garbage or other items, please make sure they are cleaned off in a timely manner. You are more than welcome to have a gas or electric grill but because of the smoke and flames charcoal grills are prohibited. We also ask that our residents avoid throwing cigarette butts off their baloneys. If you would like a coffee can to dispose of them in please stop by the office and we will be happy to provide you with one. As summer arrives maintenance will be starting several new projects. More flowers will be planted along with additional beds. We are planning on continuing with the seal coating that was started last summer to finish the back half of the property. We will be distributing flyers to keep you informed of these changes and appreciate your cooperation. Once again we take pride in providing a home all of our residents our happy with, if you have any concerns please feel free to contact our office at (269) 979-2120. Thank you, The Landings at the Preserve

	Don't Forget......
	Change your smoke detector battery!
Change your smoke detector battery! According to recent fire statistics, smoke alarms were not installed in about 60% of the homes that had fires, and only 40% of the installed smoke alarms were activated. The main reason why? 56% of the alarms had no battery and 17% had a dead battery.

	Helpful Reminders:
	Monthly Reminders:
Monthly Reminders: · Always pick up after your pet and dispose of it properly · When people buzz your apartment, do not just let them in: do not let strangers into the building · Park away from the sidewalks when it snows · Do not prop the entrance doors open · Call the office for service request, and for emergency service request, press three when prompted (emergencies only) · Only put recyclable items in the recycle bin, it’s paper products only · If you are planning on moving at the end of your lease you are required to give a 60 day notice, prior to the lease expiring · As always rent is due on the first of the month and after the third the 10% late fee will be enforced: no exceptions!