By Adele Brown, Friends of LaFortune Park
To The Haldimand Press
CALEDONIA—The Friends of LaFortune Park extend a huge thank you to Greg Salter of Caledonia and his Grade 7/8 students from Major Ballachey Elementary School in Brantford for volunteering their time.
On March 29, 2023 four students accompanied their teacher to LaFortune Park in Caledonia to install 25 birdhouses. These birdhouses were assembled by students during class hours. Salter says this project provided a good lesson in building and some great science. He hopes to return in the spring with some students and a licensed bander to band baby birds.
The Friends of LaFortune were able to supply materials to build the 25 birdhouses thanks to a Community Partnership Program grant received from Haldimand County. The ongoing maintenance of the birdhouses will be looked after by the Friends of LaFortune.
The size and style of birdhouse installed will attract tree swallows, along with some bluebirds. Swallows are known to feed on mosquitos and it’s our hope that this will help control the mosquito population in the park. A similar birdhouse project at Henning Ballpark in Caledonia was found to be very successful in significantly reducing mosquitos. The Friends of LaFortune hope to add more birdhouses in the park in the future.
