Hungry Owl Project gets hundreds of owl box requests from around the country every month. Having this level of demand—which is a good problem to have—means that building boxes is where we need to grow the program. We’re working on a number of innovative partnerships to produce enough owl boxes to meet the growing interest in helping owls find suitable nesting places, and have a lot of promising leads.
One of the partnerships we’re working on building is with local woodworkers who are interested in donating their time and abilities to help owls. One of the first people to participate is Tom Crouse, a current WildCare volunteer and woodworker.
For most of Tom’s career he was a chemical engineer, which meant he and his family moved around the country regularly. When he moved back to the Bay Area he sold real estate in Marin County for 10 years, after which he retired and began volunteering for WildCare.
Tom’s interest in woodworking traces back to his father, who was always in the woodshop working on one project or another. Tom acquired a lot of tools from his father and grandfather over the years, and he has a strong skill set that he puts to work for wildlife in the woodshop in his garage.
“Owl boxes are fun because I believe in the cause. Owls are magnificent animals and worth all we can do to increase their numbers. Plus, I find building in the garage very therapeutic. I’m always building something—I might as well make something useful,” Tom says about his volunteer work with Hungry Owl Project.
Tom generously donates his time and woodworking materials to support our work to help owls. Without volunteers like Tom we couldn’t continue to meet the growing demand for owl boxes. We’re so thankful to Tom and all of WildCare’s volunteers who contribute their time, energy, and financial support toward making the world a better place for wildlife.
Think you could build a box a week? A box every other week? One per month? If you’re interested in building owl boxes as a part of your ongoing commitment to WildCare, please visit the Volunteer section of our website at discoverwildcare.org and apply to become a support volunteer. We’re looking for someone who can commit to a regular production schedule and can discuss details about your time commitment and projects to match your skill level.
This article originally appeared in WildCare’s Winter 2019 / Spring 2020 newsletter.