There’s nothing quite so wonderful as hearing bird song and watching them in flight. Unfortunately, recently the ability of birds to find proper nesting areas have decreased due to the increase in human activity and population centers.
Nest Box Week gives people the chance to contribute to the conservation effort while also allowing the opportunity at some calm and peaceful bird watching.
History of Nest Box Week
Nest Box Week launched in 1997 by the British Trust for Ornithology, a research institute that tracks the changes in bird populations to inform the public and help form environmental policies.
With over 40,000 volunteer bird-watchers, Nest Box Week encourages people to pay attention to the local nesting birds in the area and encourages people to put up nest boxes to support the conservation of breeding birds.
Nest Box Week informs people about the rapid disappearance of natural sites, such as trees and abandoned buildings where birds would make their homes.
BTO focuses their efforts on asking what’s causing the changes in bird activity, such as their migration methods, locations, and how the weather will impact the food supply for birds that season.
According to BTO, the increase in landscaping and property restoration has cause many birds to speed up their breeding season, laying up to 30 days earlier than usual since the 1960s. Because of Nest Box Week, over 6 million boxes have been placed in gardens in the United Kingdom alone.
Nest Box Week gives people a first look into the world of birds by helping them pay attention to the world around them and giving people a chance to give back to the natural environment.
How to Celebrate Nest Box Week
Nest Box Week is all about the birds, and the best way that the British Trust for Ornithology has helped make the celebration of this holiday easier is by creating a nest box guide so people can easily install the right kind of bird box for their local birds.
Building and installing nest boxes is the first step towards observing birds for science. To celebrate this holiday, start by watching the birds around you and seeing how they inhabit the world around them. Look at the variety of plants and see what factors the birds are considering when making their nests.
If you want others to participate, share this holiday on social media using the hashtag #NestBoxWeek to let your friends know this week is all about the birds.
