One of the many reasons I love working as the TerraCorps Community Engagement Coordinator at the Norman Bird Sanctuary (NBS) is the privilege of capturing and documenting the moments that bring our conservation dreams to life. During the week of March 17, I was out in the fields with NBS staff and volunteers, filming time-lapse footage and photographing the group as they installed over 300 bird boxes across the property.
On one of those mornings – what seemed like a dreary and windy Tuesday – a group of dedicated volunteers gathered, ready with work gloves, screw drivers and energy to begin the installation. As I watched them dart around the vast fields, my own excitement grew, eager to see the landscape dotted with bird boxes, waiting for their inhabitants to come back home. This annual bird box installation, organized by our Science Coordinator Sara Porier, is a crucial effort to support local bird populations including Tree Swallows and Eastern Bluebirds. These species lay their eggs inside natural and man-made cavities, such as tree hollows and bird boxes.
This year, over the course of two days, NBS volunteers and staff installed 318 bird boxes across our southern and northern fields. Each box was then registered with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Nest Watch Program. From April until August, staff, student interns, and volunteers monitor nest boxes to help track bird breeding behavior, including when nesting occurs, how many eggs are laid, and the number of hatchlings that fledge.
Both installation days were filled with excitement, teamwork, and a shared purpose. Our installation crew included students from Salve Regina University, volunteers from the Sanctuary’s Conservation Crew and the local community! Sara Poirier captured the heart of the experience when she said that her favorite part was “working with a group of people to accomplish what can be a Herculean task and have it come together almost effortlessly.”
One particularly magical moment happened while I was filming volunteers in the southern fields one Wednesday morning. A volunteer waved me over excitedly and pointed toward the far end of the field – there the first Tree Swallows of the season were flying overhead and scoping out their new homes! This year, they arrived on March 19, just a few days later than last year’s first sighting on March 14. Our newest staff members were also able to enjoy the sight of our recently completed Northern Fild shortly after the volunteers set up over 100 bird boxes. Their collective sense of awe – what staff like to call a “mission moment” at NBS – is when we see our conservation efforts come to life!
As I spent almost two full days out in the fields documenting this process, this project became much more than the result of the bird boxes standing tall. It was also the quiet patience of observing how each field slowly changed and the environment responding to it – the birds seemed to know when it was time to return. It was about shared effort, laughter floating between pairs working on a row of bird boxes, and the feeling of being a part of something bigger than yourself. The boxes are more than just shelter for these bird species, but also a reminder of the commitment to conservation and our belief in the power of collective action.
We look forward to seeing these boxes filled with life and to sharing more stories from the field in the coming months. If you are as inspired as I am by our bird box efforts, consider supporting local bird populations by adopting a bird box through the Norman Bird Sanctuary’s Adopt a Bird Box Program! Each adoption includes updates on your bird box, and other exclusive benefits for each tier. To learn more about the Adopt a Bird Box Program, visit our website and help support these incredible species!
