People of Carrier Drive
Centre for Skilled Trades Donates New Tree Swallow Nests to Lakeshore Community
By: Cindy Giang
Cindy is a student in the Bachelor of Public Relations program and is currently a Work Study student at the Centre for Skilled Trades & Technology, Carrier Drive
Friends of Sam Smith (FOSS) approached Carrier Drive to assist in restoring the tree swallow population. This project goes beyond restoring the environment, because it is also about preserving the wetlands and naturalized park for future generations to enjoy. Terry Smith, FOSS Founder, says “Gardens are a luxury now, which is why parks are so important. Colonel Samuel Smith Park continues to be a healing space for resident.”
“It is about giving back to the community and understanding everyone needs a little support at times,” said Michael Auchincloss, Associate Dean at the Centre for Skilled Trades. The project is near and dear to him as conservation is a personal value. The tree-swallow birdhouse has been designed to be quickly produced at a limited cost to allow for future projects.
It was a collaborative effort involving staff from different departments to step out of their comfort zone and pitch in to help complete this project. It started with Michael working closely with Terry to design the perfect nest for the bird to safely raise their young ones during the liveliness of spring.
Then technicians Olivia Barrow, Allen Ramsden, James Passafiume, Ryan Smith, Antonio Marin and Tyler Levasseur began working on bringing the 2-dimension design to life with their carpentry and welding knowledge and skills, while others provide support where needed.
Olivia, a welding technician said she had fun working collaboratively, but she had to quickly learn construction tools to aid the nest building process. Allen, Ryan and Antonio learned the techniques and overcame challenges when handling the branding iron. “You have to get the entire emblem red hot, and you have to be quick because the other side would have cooled down once you align one side of it,” said Allen, and Ryan added “Some woods are damp, so they weren’t adhering properly. We had to heat up the branding logo more to have consistent design.”
FOSS invites everyone to attend the Spring Bird Festival on Saturday, May 27, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the park to discover the beauty of nature and its inhabitants.
