Benefits to town and neighborhood
now and future:
The
new birdhouse would benefit the park greatly and attract visitors. Purple
Martins are now rare in this area. Many birds were dispersed by the 2011
tornado and microburst. The new bird house would make the park a more desirable
meeting spot for hiking clubs and bird watchers and add beauty to the area. Volunteers
on Bruuer Avenue and Eagle Scout members from troop 359 will clean out the
nests and it will be cared for by future generations. The nesting boxes will be
numbered so if any volunteers or scientists want to use it for research projects
it will be beneficial. They would be able to track how many birds and what
species have been nesting that would be available to them. A free website/blog will be put up to update
people on the project progress, birds returning and tracking how many.
Action Plan:
I
am asking Permission to dig a hole for the post and place a new bird house
community on top in a better location to be seen and appreciated by all in
Wilbraham. The post and new house will be moved into a new location in the sun
closer to the flag pole clear of trees and shrubs. Birds and bats can co-exist
nicely so the current bat houses pose no concern. I recommend the Wilbraham
Conservation Committee leave up the original birdhouse as it might be home to squirrels
and rodents. The tree next to it will not disturbed or cut down. Poison Ivy is
also abundant in the area around the post.
The new birdhouse will be built by
Wilbraham and Bruuer Avenue resident Jim McLaren. There will be improvements on
the old design. The new one can be cleaned out every year to encourage the
Purple Martins to come back. The approximate dimensions will be 3’L x 2’W x 2’H.
It will have 22 rooms with a sturdy roof that is water and mildew resistant.
The color will be primarily white with colonial blue trim to match the
historical neighborhood. The birdhouse will not pose a problem to the lawnmower
and a small radius of long grass around the base would be visually appealing.
Proposed new location away from trees and water rise line
Image from the Purple Martin Conservation Association
http://purplemartin.org/main/mgt.html
Bruuer Pond unusually high water level in Spring of 2000
Dedication:
A dedication day would be in April when the birds
start nesting. Flyers will be posted in local shops designed by myself,
an experienced graphic designer donating my own time to
invite the entire town. I
plan on having a ribbon cutting ceremony for the special event.
There will be an
engraved plate at eye level on the post to say: Dedicated to the Future Generation of Nature Lovers (date)
-Extraction
of proposal paper to Wilbraham Conservation Committee September 23, 2013
