Each year the Troup County High School Future Farmers of America Group assists West Point Lake in preparing for the mating season for our Neotropical Bird Monitoring Program. Each year we have around 30 to 40 students to participate in making this FFA Workday a success.
The Corps provides the materials for construction of the bird houses and the Troup constructs them. Once the bird houses are completed, a workday is held for the students to come out to the project and install the bird boxes throughout the project.
The boxes that are identified as needing to be replaced around the project are boxes that are weathered, missing, or the hole in the front of birdhouse has been made larger by other animals or critters. The holes on the front of the bird houses have to be 1 1/2" in diameter. If the holes are any larger or smaller, the bluebirds will not nest in that particular birdhouse. The size of the hole is used as a defense mechanism to help keep other animals out.
In addition to the FFA workday, we have several volunteers (anyone interested adults can do the monitoring) besides the students from Troup County High School to come out and do the monitoring of the bluebirds while they are nesting. This is done from March to August every year. The project normally fledge about 500 birds year.
The Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) is the largest mountain biking organization in the Southeast. They work with land managers to create trail systems for mountain bikers and other users to enjoy on public lands. Our local chapter, the Chattahoochee Valley Area (CVA) SORBA, provides hours of volunteer labor to design, build, improve, and maintain the Lakeside Trail System. In addition, the CVA SORBA often partners with the Corps of Engineers and other organizations to provide special activities and events at the trail for the general public.
West Point Lake Coalition is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization which has been in existence since the year 2000. They are a volunteer organization of approximately 800 members dedicated to a clean and safe West Point Lake. Their membership includes fishermen/women, recreational boaters, citizens, people who love watching wildlife, property owners, and visitors to West Point Lake.
Currently the West Point Lake Coalition is extending the solar buoy lights program to Maple, Yellowjacket, and Wehadkee Creeks, which when completed, will mean the major portion of West Point Lake will be safely lit up at night.
For more information on partnering with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers please read Partnering with the Corps of Engineers.