Linn, it doesn't make a lot of sense to us, does it? The book is great - he's one of my favorite authors (this is an account of his retirement - a day in his life frequently starts before dawn so he can climb a tree and be ready to watch his geese!). In a way it does make sense for the geese to nest and hatch their goslings away from other geese and predators on tiny spots of water in the woods. But they need grass for themselves and the family while the goslings grow. A march through the woods is apparently the common answer to the problem.

My sympathies about the ladyslippers. Could you have a woodchuck? They're quite the gourmets. They'll often eat just flowers and leave the remaining plant behind, though I've never had ladyslippers for them to eat. Hot pepper spray works if you see more damage.