The New and the Old

After visiting Cornell's Lab of Ornithology this weekend, habitat seemed to be a central theme. Whether for humans or animals, where we live is an evolving process. The lab's new facility, a beautiful piece of modern architecture based on the structure of a bird, functioned perfectly with its mix of public spaces and research facilities. In the distance was the traditional and classic Kip's barn, a harbinger of the past.
Birds, too, need evolving habitat, and it can be found in some unlikely ways. One Cornell project meant to supplement chickadee nesting sites uses PVC pipe, whose hollow structure could be made to mimic the interior cavity of a rotting tree. Next to it sat a more traditional bird house for comparison. Wouldn't you know it, the chickadees preferred the PVC-- a simple enough way for even a novice to create some new habitat. For directions to build your own, click here.

Home Expo: Orlando

James just returned from a Home Expo in Orlando, Florida. According to him, the word of the day is 'green' as building materials try to offer products that emphasize efficiency. Condensing boilers, thermal barriers, windows with thermal breaks, icynene insulation filled the convention center. This 6' mini-wind turbine at 25mph generates 1,000 watts of power, but can product electricity in as little as 1 mph winds. I've been concerned about wind power and birds, but recently read a blog post on Treehugger refuting the dangers wind turbines pose to the avian population.
James said the convention gave him an opportunity to explore the new options out there for upcoming projects and I even got a treat for the yard: an earth-friendly homasote birdhouse made out of post-consumer recycled newsprint.

Bird Badge

Olivia and I helped out Jackson's Cub Scout troop 370 earn their birding merit badge tonight. After a round table discussion about helping out the birds in our backyards, the boys looked through field guides and painted bird houses. Consulting Seatuck's latest issue of Field Notes, we then made bird feeders with a used soda bottle, a wooden spoon, and string, taking home their oiled sunflower seeds to fill them. Hopefully the evening gave encouragement to a group of future birders.

Snowbound

What else to do with a snowy day?

It's Official!

Drum roll please. . . our backyard is now a certified wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. Establishing eco-friendly landscaping and setting up feeders for birds are two of the easy ways to help stave off the detrimental effects of poor town planning and suburban sprawl. A nationwide campaign to 'green' American backyards makes a lot of sense as birds across the country are losing habitat and not just those living in the Gulf. Acting locally doesn't get much closer than this.

Backyard Sanctuary

As a healthy ecosystem seems perilously close to being a thing of the past, please consider acting locally. The National Wildlife Federation is holding a challenge of turning our backyards into safe havens all across the country. I was surprised to find that our suburban backyard was able to gain certification of a wildlife habitat by the NWF with one or two tweaks. The checklist is incredibly straightforward-- seeds or berries, trees and shrubs, nesting location, water source, organic fertilizer-- it is quite easy to meet the standard, leaving me to wonder why shouldn't we all get on board. The Audubon Society also has information on their site on how to make your backyard bird-friendly. With the marsh areas of the Gulf chewed up with oil, perhaps we can do our part for bird populations in our own region.

The Birdhouses of Potic

A lazy and warm afternoon we spent at Potic Cottage yesterday-- too blissful for words. Can't me thankful enough. Set about the very rustic landscape with a glass of red and a camera. Couldn't help but see the artistic potential in these 'tree' houses. Looks like a possible series to me.

The bottom one is a new platform for the Eastern Phoebes' nest we displaced by screening in the porch. Liv says she heard them this morning with their courtship song, so let's hope it works. It did for a displaced nest from Islip for some sparrows for whom we were able to find a new spot, which they are using right now.

Ready for Spring

Not even a foot of fresh snow can chill my anticipation of springtime this year. I am all ready to set my clocks an hour ahead, loss of sleep be damned. In honor of spring this year, I'm planning some eco-projects-- First off, we've started some seedlings. Olivia plunked some seeds in a pot and I've got a pine tree going that's now about ten inches tall. Next up, we're starting our shiitake spores today. We had high hopes of using a decaying log, but reality set in, so we are starting with a smaller kit and working our way up to logs. And for a bigger project, we're setting up some birdhouses to combat habitat loss for our feathered friends. Check out birds.cornell.edu/nestinginfo. But our greatest spring project so far is hatching a batch of butterflies. Right now they are a handful of fat caterpillars, evolving into even fatter caterpillars. We're just hoping spring comes in time for their release. Otherwise, we're pointing the car south and going on a road trip.