VICTORIA -- A new piece of grounds keeping equipment purchased to help keep Sooke sports fields clear of goose droppings may be the first of its kind in Canada.

It’s officially named the Tow and Collect, but Regional Direct for Juan De Fuca Mike Hicks just calls it the "poop picker."

“I call it the poop picker and it works like a d#mn,” said Hicks.

The equipment comes from New Zealand and costs roughly $10,000. Hicks says its main purpose is to keep goose poop from accumulating on grass.

“One goose poops out three pounds of crap every day,” said Hicks. “At times I’ve seen 100 geese on the field at once, you can do the math.”

The "poop picker" works by sweeping up droppings while being towed behind a tractor. As the wheels of the device turn, thin brushes sweep fields of all waste. Besides goose droppings, the Tow and Collect picks up grass clippings and dirt plugs that form after aerating a field.

“It’s like a three-in-one machine,” said Hicks. “I wish I was selling these things the way I’ve been raving about them, but I’m not. I’m just a big fan.”

The waste is collected into a hopper and dumped in the bushes beside the field. Within six months, the collection turns into compost and can be reused in gardens, says Hicks.

The Juan De Fuca Regional District secured funding for the $10,000 machine through federal gas tax money.

After several test runs, Hicks is now encouraging all districts to look into purchasing a Tow and Collect machine.

He says "it's like a poop Zamboni for fields" and that the device could make otherwise unused fields usable again.