By : Anne Stairs.

With spring sounds on the wing, and in time for returning migratory birds, a group of local wildlife lovers has launched a new initiative to encourage residents to give birds and bats an extra boost this season and help them in the face of declining populations.

The Brome Bird Sanctuary Project

The local Men’s Shed and the Mount Echo Conservation Association (MECA) have launched the Brome Bird Sanctuary project, offering bird nest boxes, bat boxes and robin shelves for sale at cost. Ready-to-go nest boxes with a mesh bottom for proper ventilation will be sold at local stores.

Robin shelves and bat boxes provide homes for robins and bats. The nest boxes are ideal for chickadees, finches, titmice, nuthatches, wrens and warblers.

Assistance Available

If you would like to promote birds through nest boxes, but aren’t very handy with a drill or ladders, the Men’s Shed is volunteering to install the boxes for you. They can be contacted at BBC@lacbromemensshed.org.

As a second step, the Brome Bird Sanctuary Project is inviting interested individuals to join a steering committee to further stimulate interest in bird preservation, education, habitat conservation, and bird tourism in the Brome Lake area. Please leave your name and sentence or two about any expertise have in this area at sanctu@brome.com.

Everyone, particularly gardeners, nature lovers, lake preservationists, hikers, walkers, cyclists and feeder watchers, has a stake in enjoying some of nature’s most beloved members.