Anyone walking in the quad in recent weeks noticed a planter box in the quad was surrounded by protective red fencing. The reason: A pair of geese were preparing to give birth and needed more protection. 

The long-awaited event finally happened on the morning of Sunday, May 2 — the same day as the Saratoga Music Boosters’ Pancake Breakfast — and now the campus is watching the first steps and development of three resulting goslings. The goslings and their parents are now treated like campus celebrities, often surrounded by cooing students who admire their every move. 

According to assistant principal Matthew Torrens, music students have lovingly named the three goslings “Strawberry,” “Sausage” and “Pancake” after the occasion of their hatching. 

Though the couple originally had four eggs, it is unclear what has happened to the fourth gosling. 

The family of geese can be seen wandering around the quad, the campus parking lot and even occasionally crossing Herriman Avenue to visit Menlo Church. 

Geese have lived on the campus for decades. However, in previous years, they have nested on the tops of roofs — historically, on the top of the administrative office or the music building. By nesting on rooftops, the geese can effectively avoid predators like coyotes and other animals that live nearby. 

This is the first year that the geese have nested on the ground by the quad. According to Torrens, this is likely due to a leaking pipe at the base of the redwood deck recently built in September, which provides an easily accessible water source for them to drink from.

When the mother was nesting, curious students occasionally caught glimpses of the four eggs in the nest. A black plastic lunch container was placed near it to collect rainwater, providing the mother with ample water to drink while nesting. 

Over the years, the administration has developed a simple standard protocol for peaceful cohabitation with the geese, Torrens said: Give them their space. The Canada Geese that reside on campus are intensely territorial — a male goose can often be found running around chasing away any students who dare to get too close to the mother. To protect the geese and the students alike, principal Greg Louie arranged in early April for custodians to put fences around the nest. 

Even though they are hatched now, students are advised to keep their distance. 

“I’ve heard a lot of people who have had interactions with [the male goose], but I didn’t think much of it,” junior Alicia Huang said. “I got too close when taking pictures one morning, and I didn’t even realize it was running at me with its mouth wide open, so I had to run away.” 

The nesting pair had presented another challenge for administrators in mid-April when another pair landed in the quad. Having encroached on each other’s territory one morning, the newly arrived male began to attack the current pair. It was promptly chased away, but left a mess of feathers behind in the wake of the territorial battle. 

Though the red fencing has been removed after the hatching, administrators students should still remember to treat the geese with respect and space whenever they are spotted touring the campus. The little family will stay around campus for the next few weeks until the goslings can fly, allowing the quad to return back to normal — that is, until the next year’s breeding season. 

This story was originally published on The Saratoga Falcon on May 13, 2026.