“Bluebirds, singing a song, nothing but bluebirds, all day long” go the lyrics of “Blue Skies” by Irving Berlin.
Evidently bluebirds were special to Berlin, and they are treasured by many nature enthusiasts, especially since their population has been declining. You see, bluebirds evidently require especially “attractive” houses. And, Barrington High School senior Sean Doran, son of Terry and William Doran, of Fox Point, has just achieved Eagle Ranking; by building a whole slew of them, with a little help from his friends!
“Local Eagle Scout Candidate Sean Doran of Troop 927 was in need of an Eagle project. Leave No Child Inside was in need of bluebird houses for the May 4th greater Barrington area KidFest. Sounds like a perfect match!” said Pat Winkelman of Leave No Child Inside (LNCI) of Barrington and Lake Zurich. “Bluebirds are cavity dwellers, and with the past trend of landscaping to rid yards of decayed or dying trees that provide food, shelter and nesting sites, along with extreme development, bluebirds are in need of help to provide them nesting sites,” said Pat. “Furthermore, bluebirds are unable to create their own nest cavities as woodpeckers do….However, bluebird nest boxes mimic natural cavities, and with proper installation, can provide many years of service to local bluebird populations.”
According to Pat, “The Leave No Child Inside initiative resulted from Richard Louv’s book “Last Child in the Woods” where Louv coined the phrase “nature-deficit disorder” resulting from the shocking divide between children and the outdoors.”
“Sean completed his project of building nearly 80 bluebird house kits, along with compiling information regarding house maintenance and bluebird attraction for children,” added Pat.
Then, in a joint June celebration of “Leave No Child Inside” month, the annual Barrington Area KidFest, 12th annual Community Kite Fly, and fourth annual Family Nature Fest converged in Barrington Citizen’s Park. It was hosted by the Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club, Barrington Park District and Leave No Child Inside of the Greater Barrington and Lake Zurich Area, “three community-oriented organizations,” according to Pat.
More than 2,100 children and caregivers, plus numerous supporters, attended the event, including Barrington Area Library, Barrington High School Interact Club, Boy Scouts Signal Hill District Council/Pathway to Adventure, Citizens For Conservation /Youth ED, Cosley Zoo, DaVinci Waldorf School, Fox Valley Wildlife Center, Fred Fest, Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois, Glowby the Bubbler, LLBean, Lake County Forest Preserve, Lakeside Moms & Tots, and Noah’s Ark Christian Preschool.
“I originally was planning on doing a project involving technology,” said Sean. “After reading about the (bluebird) project and its benefits for my local community, I said ‘yes’ to the beneficiary organization, Leave No Child Inside. I love building things and planning out a project. I also like working with children.”
Sean then researched birdhouse specifications and appropriate location. He compiled materials, a budget, and donations.
“Additionally, Sean led his volunteers in cutting the bird house pieces, pre-drilling pilot holes, entrance holes, ventilation holes and holes for clean-out mechanism,” said Pat. “The next step was assembling each kit, including two different length screws and an educational sheet about the importance of bluebirds. Lastly, Sean instructed his volunteers regarding the process of making the houses, setting up at KidFest and finally assisting the many children in making their own houses.”
One birdhouse sample was painted Home Depot orange as a thank you to the Palatine Home Depot for their donation of materials, tools and safety goggles. Sean recounted his obstacles on the path to project success: “One of the greatest challenges was planning for the actual event, KidFest, at the very beginning of my project. I already knew that I needed about four or five volunteers to help me on event day… Another challenge that I faced was planning how to best construct the kits. We ended up having three Troop building sessions.”
Sean described the value of scouting.
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“I believe that becoming an Eagle Scout has opened up a new world for me. I have learned a new level of leadership… I have also learned the difficulties of leading a group of people. It has changed my life in a big way. I have gained a new level of respect from friends and family, and they sometimes ask me for help.”
Sean added, “It takes a lot of work!”
LNCI’s next KidFest take place May 7, with a rain date of May 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Citizens Park in Barrington. More information can be found at funoutside.org and barringtonkidfest.com.
Kimberly Albrecht is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press