Bird Nests

Campus wouldn’t be the first place to look when trying to get in touch with nature, but there are some parts that might do the trick on the route to class. If you look close enough at some of the trees across campus you may find birdhouses attached.

Rebekah Rylander, Ph.D. ornithologist student and the Texas Ornithology Society are to thank for those. If you think ornithology is the scientific study of birds, you guessed right.

Rylander came up with the idea of putting birdhouses around campus after working at the Freeman Center.

“This project has been done at the Freeman Center. It has given undergraduates and graduate students the experience to research and handle birds for jobs down the road,” said Rylander.

After finding out about the ESC Rylander created a grant and was approved to use the funding for making the birdhouses. In the rapidly growing urban environment of San Marcos, the first goal is giving the birds a home.

“We thought putting bird nests around campus would give them a home, help figure out what kind utilize the nest and benefit the students,” said Rylander.

The benefits to students will be through research and experiencing birds on campus. Since the Freeman Center also has this program there will be an opportunity to compare an urban to a rural environment.

Rylander and the Texas Ornithology Society have made their mark on students and birds in the community by creating a safer place for them to both coexist. How will you leave your mark?