Schools
Students proudly displaying finished blue bird boxes
Leeds Grenville Stewardship Council volunteers actively support elementary school teachers through the Woodworking for Wildlife program. It is one of our most popular programs.
The Stone Shop in Toledo is the focal point for many of the LGSC's projects. Dwayne Struthers and Garnet Baker have spent countless hours there designing and constructing nest boxes and platforms, signs, and wildlife viewing platforms.
The program starts early in the winter as Garnet Baker, Dwayne Struthers and their many helpers convert their supply of Ottawa Valley white pine lumber into hundreds of pre-sawn and drilled bird box kits.
Then they go to the classrooms. After listening to a short presentation, each child in the class gets the opportunity to construct and take home a blue bird box. Council members and the teacher are always near at hand to offer advice, but the children do the work.
As in other years, in 2018 the construction of box kits started early in the year with 7 volunteers assembling some 200 blue bird box kits.
LGSC volunteers visited 5 schools in the United County in 2018 including:
- Pine View Public School - Athens
- Rideau Vista Public School - Westport
- Lombardy Public School – Lombardy
- St. Joseph’s Catholic School – Toledo
- Wolford Public School - Merrickville
In total 107 Grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 students participated and 147 Blue Bird Houses were assembled.
In excess of 85 hours of volunteer time goes into making this program a success.
For more information contact: Garnet Baker or Dwayne Struthers
