Finland's precious summer months are short and sweet—except, perhaps, for the goose poop in its beaches and parks. As Helsinki basks in record heat, locals flock to Hietsu Beach, only to share the sand with barnacle geese and, inevitably, their droppings. Jukka Lundgren, who oversees the city's public beaches, says the "shocking amount" of feces has been a persistent summer headache during his 15-plus years on the job. This year, however, Helsinki tested a new weapon: a wheeled device designed by the city's beach crew to sift sand and scoop up the mess, per the New York Times.
The invention, inspired by a public contest, was rolled out in half of the city's 25 beaches. But while the device initially showed promise, it quickly proved too cumbersome for wet sand and now spends most of its time in storage. With culling banned and hunting in urban areas not really an option, Finns are stuck trying other creative cleanup tactics. Other cities have tried everything, from expensive patrol dogs to audio scare tactics, but nothing sticks for long—the geese typically catch on quickly.
Meanwhile, maintenance crews, whose numbers have steadily grown, are left to tackle more than 40 pounds of droppings a day at some locations—often with little more than a spade and gloves. For Helsinki's sunseekers, vigilance is key: Check where you're placing your towel on the sand and hope the kids don't mistake a pile of poop for something fun to play with. "You have to watch your every step," one parent said. This Finnish brewer, meanwhile, has come up with an eyebrow-raising use for sterilized droppings: as a "flavoring agent" to create beers with an "extremely interesting" taste.
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