Beaverhill Bird Observatory receives a donation of $10K

The Sherwood Park Fish & Game Association (SPFGA) recently awarded a grant to the Beaverhill Bird Observatory (BBO) of $10,000.

“The grant is a huge push forward in the BBO’s ambitious fund-raising effort to replace their two staff bunk-houses and banding lab, located near the edge of the former Beaverhill Lake shoreline,” said Emily Grose of BBO.

The BBO is the second-longest running bird observatory in Canada and has been in continuous operation since 1984.

“When the buildings were initially constructed they were meant to be temporary, as only initial surveys of the area were being conducted to determine what kind and numbers of bird species were in the area,” Grose explained. “Since then, both buildings have deteriorated greatly. Rotting roofs and old walls have become soft, making it easy for squirrels and other noisy guests to take up residence.”

According to Grose, with the banding season now extending into November with the addition of fall owl trapping, better insulation for minus 20 degrees nights will be appreciated.

“With the donation from the SPFGA members and private donations, the replacement of this old cabin is a goal nearly reached,” Grose added. “The SPFGA also helped BBO by providing access to purple martin boxes on their lands for the trapping of adults for a dispersal study.”

BBO will now set their future sights on replacing the laboratory where birds are banded, and has seen a large growth in the number of school groups, university students, girl guides and other visitors who visit the station.

“The expanded lab will feature a larger banding room with better sight lines and space for educational/interpretive purposes, as the staff teach visitors about bird biology and conservation,” Grose said. “The new accommodations and lab will also allow the BBO more space to host visitors and provide an adequate learning environment for internships and university students.”