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J. M.
Bennett
High School Students
Lend a Hand to Help the Ducks
Students in Courtland Lilley’s
Transportation Technology class at James M. Bennett High School
in Salisbury, MD recently transformed 25 empty Freon canisters
into Wood Duck nesting boxes. Wood Ducks are cavity nesters and
to promote their come back (seasons were once closed due to low
population numbers) artificial nesting boxes are placed in
critical habitat locations to increase their nesting success.
Wood (primarily cedar) is traditionally used to make a
rectangular box that we hope they call home for a few months.
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The Transportation Technology Class students
and instructor participating in this project were:
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Jalonzo Bateman
Tai'Rell Copper
Eric Farrell
Nathan Hetzler
Tim Hull
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Vince Lowery
TJ Martin
Jeremay Moats
Grendi Zunun
Instructor: Courtland Lilley
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students not only gained service learning hours
required by all high school students for graduation,
but a deeper knowledge of what everyone can do for
their environment. |
The Freon canisters were
donated to Maryland Wood Duck Initiative (MWDI) extreme
home makeover by Mr. Lilley’s class, and will be installed,
monitored, and maintained on a Lower Shore Wood Duck Box project
site by the Maryland Waterfowlers Association. Six of these nesting
boxes are installed on Nassawango Creek in Worcester County as
part of a 2008 nesting project.
 As
all raw material prices rise, the use of alternative sources
such as this one benefits both man and nature. All eyes will be
focused on the hatch/use data that comes from these boxes to
evaluate their success.
The Maryland Waterfowlers
Association works in cooperation with MWDI on many Wood Duck
nest box projects throughout the state to increase the success
of Maryland’s Wood Duck population.
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