Volunteers digging a trench for the tunnel and nest of a burrowing owl Oct. 15, 2016. Contributed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada

iNPHOTOS: Humans dig a housing development for owls near Kamloops

KAMLOOPS – Volunteers often build homes for people, but during a mid-October weekend, a group of volunteers built homes for birds.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Burrowing Owl Conservation Society of B.C. and the group of hardy volunteers dug tunnels and homes for burrowing owls, a species of bird just starting to return to the region, near Napier Lake south of Kamloops on Oct. 15.

The 50 participants were able to dig 22 homes for the owls with entrances, tunnels made of tubing for strength and nesting areas inside plastic structures.

Captively bred owls will be released into the area in the spring of next year.

A similar project completed near Osoyoos is already inhabited by the owls.

Shovels and tubes being carried to the site of a new owl housing development Oct. 15, 2016. The tubing is used for the tunnel from the hole’s entrance to the owls’ nesting area. Contributed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada

Volunteers of all ages were on hand to help build the burrowing owls homes on Oct. 15, 2016. Contributed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada

Volunteers working on three different burrows for owls Oct. 15, 2016. Contributed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada

The trench’s lead from the burrow entrance to a nesting area where the owls can raise their young. Plastic structures were used to create the nesting area on Oct. 15, 2016. Contributed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada

A horse skull adorns the entrance to one of the new burrowing owl homes built Oct. 15, 2016. Contributed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada

FILE PHOTO: Owls, like this one living near Osoyoos, will be released into the new burrow area near Napier Lake in spring of 2017. Contributed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada

To contact a reporter for this story, email Brendan Kergin or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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Brendan Kergin

Brendan grew up down on the coast before moving to Kamloops to pursue a degree in journalism. After graduating from TRU in 2013 he moved to Toronto to work as an editor, but decided to move back west after a couple years. With a big interest in politics, Brendan will be covering city hall. Outside of council chambers he’ll write about anything; if you have a story you think people might be interested in, contact him at bkergin@infonews.ca


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