MOBILE, Ala.--The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) at West Point Project is seeking volunteers to assist with bluebird nesting box monitoring during the March to August breeding season. Prospective volunteers should be available to inspect their assigned nesting boxes every two weeks during the breeding season. USACE will provide data logs and maps to the locations of the assigned nesting boxes.
In 2012, volunteers donated over 250 hours to assist with monitoring the bluebird nesting boxes. Volunteers were able to record 560 fledglings in the 170 boxes placed around West Point Lake. The Eastern Bluebird population has risen considerably over the past few decades as a result of nesting box installations and volunteer assistance with monitoring programs. This is in sharp contrast to the 1960’s when bluebird populations declined to a level that raised extinction fears. The nesting boxes and the volunteers who help support them are vital to the growth of the population at West Point Lake.
Individuals who cannot assist in monitoring the nesting boxes at West Point Lake may be able to assist bluebirds by installing a nesting box on their own property. Individuals interested in volunteering for the nesting box program should contact the project office at 706-645-2937. Guidance can also be provided to those individuals who are interested in installing bluebird nesting boxes on their own property.
For more specific information on this topic or any other issue related to the management of West Point Project, please contact the Project Management Office at 706-645-2937, or visit the West Point Lake website at http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/westpt
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Release no. 13-011