JASON SETNYK
Cornwall’s efforts to support local bird populations received a boost through a new community conservation project involving students, environmental organizations, and the City of Cornwall.
Bird Friendly Cornwall partnered with the Raisin Region Conservation Authority and agriculture students from Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School to construct and install cedar nesting boxes for Tree Swallows and Eastern Bluebirds at several locations across the city.
The project was recently celebrated during a public event at Chevrier Park, where Councillor Sarah Good and Mayor Justin Towndale joined members of the City’s Parks Department in raising one of the nesting boxes.
Locations receiving nesting boxes include Rotary Creek, Chevrier Park, Monarch Meadow, and the Holy Trinity school grounds. The boxes were built using blueprints from the Cornell Lab Nest Watch program and are intended primarily for Tree Swallows and Eastern Bluebirds, while also providing habitat opportunities for species such as Black-capped Chickadees, House Wrens, Nuthatches, and Great Crested Flycatchers.
Holy Trinity students built the “cedar homes” while the City of Cornwall Parks team completed the installation. Organizers noted the boxes were designed to remain secure and durable for years to come.
“We are very proud of the partnerships that have made this project possible,” said Good. “By working together to support our local bird population, we help protect important biodiversity, manage common pests, support our food system through pollination, and strengthen our connection to nature.”
The installations also connect with broader environmental restoration projects already underway throughout the city. Rotary Creek has seen invasive phragmites removal and habitat restoration work in recent years through efforts involving the River Institute, Watersheds Canada, and the City of Cornwall.
At Monarch Meadow in the city’s east end, native wildflowers are expected to bloom beginning in 2027, creating additional foraging habitat for birds and pollinators. Holy Trinity students will also help maintain the nesting boxes placed on school property, where previous conservation initiatives have included owl boxes and pollinator gardens.
Bird Friendly Cornwall is a community-led initiative involving representatives from the City of Cornwall, RRCA, River Institute, SDG Birding, Citizens for Marshland Conservation, and members of council. Cornwall received Bird Friendly certification from Nature Canada in 2024, becoming one of the few certified Bird Friendly cities in Eastern Ontario.
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