The Local Weekly The heart and soul of our communities with news and information about the Sunshine Coast
Kids and adults got busy building owl houses at Synchronicity Festival Sunday with help from the Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project. Workshops included a bat house project on Saturday, and talks on how some birds really appreciate habitat that humans can provide. Photo Apryl Veld
Owl house building was just one of many activities and workshops held throughout the weekend at Synchronicity Festival in Shirley Macy Park. Kids and adults were enjoying working with their hands and using the kits to make something for their feathered rainforest friends.
“Helping create suitable homes is important for some owl species,” says Jason Herz of the Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project. The workshops held throughout the three-day festival, also included a bat house workshop. “Kids have a lot of fun putting these together: it’s a great project,” Herz noted. And some species could really use assistance from property owners and conservation fans.
“Of particular concern is the federally threatened and provincially blue-listed Western Screech Owl,” the SCWP website notes, “These adorable small owls have experienced dramatic population declines since the 1990s, in the South Coast area, where they have nearly disappeared.”
Screech Owls nest in natural tree cavities and old woodpecker holes, but biologists note that development and forest harvesting has reduced the number of suitable cavity-bearing nest trees. The SCWP is encouraging the installation of owl nest boxes to provide more nesting habitat for Screech-Owls and encourage the monitoring of local populations on the Sunshine Coast.
People interested in building their own owl boxes can buy a kit or a ready-made box from the Sunshine Coast Wildlife Project website at ana@coastwildlife.ca or 778-239-9231. Apryl Veld
