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CANCELED – Conservancy Day: Kestrel Boxes – The Difference They Make
May 21, 2020 @ 6:30pm–7:30pm
The May Conservancy Day Program has been canceled due to COVID-19. We are working with the speaker to reschedule for another CD program at a later date.
Pheasant Branch Conservancy has joined the initiative to support the American Kestrel. Over the past forty years American Kestrel numbers have dropped as much as 60% in the Eastern and Midwestern United States. Through a program sponsored by Madison Audubon, two nest boxes were installed in the Conservancy in the fall of 2019. Madison Audubon has been mounting nest boxes on poles for over 25 years and now has 175 boxes in 5 different counties. Learn why these boxes are so very important and how they are monitored by volunteers.
Patrick Ready is an artist and birder living on the west side of Madison. Three years ago he moved there to downsize but couldn’t resist landscaping his yard for birds, bees and butterflies. Last year he retired from Wild Birds Unlimited where he was a back yard nature specialist. A long-time member and volunteer for Madison Audubon he has been monitoring Kestrel boxes for almost 10 years now. Currently he has 23 boxes he manages between Oregon and Mount Horeb. His boxes fledged 31 Kestrel chicks in 2019. Patrick is the current president of the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin and editor of their newsletter the Wisconsin Bluebird.
Photo credit: Hans Spiecker
Every Conservancy Day is:
- Free — thanks to your donations and membership as a Friend
- Open to the public
- For all ages unless a specific age group is given in the program description
- Diverse topics — More than 400 participants each year enjoy topics ranging from wildlife, science, resource management, natural and cultural history and current community issues
Thank you for your generous gifts and participation. You make it possible and you make it great! We welcome you to join us and help spread the word! Mark your calendars for these inspiring and special events the third Thursday of each month, from January through November.