Mariposa County Fish and Game Protective Association worked in conjunction with the Mariposa County High School Ag Department and the Mariposa County 4H Program to build (25) twenty five Owl Boxes for Mariposa County. Barn Owl Boxes were donated to the (10) ten Mariposa County Unified School District Schools, the (5) five private County Schools, the (6) six Mariposa County 4H Clubs, the Girl Scouts, and the Mariposa Fish & Game Club. With the installation of these Barn Owl boxes, the youth of our community will have the on-going opportunity to study and present Barn Owl conservation, preservation, and behavior. This will include giving classroom presentations, presenting science fair projects, engaging in owl pellet dissection, monitoring and observing Barn Owl behavior and making suggestions for improvements in box design and placement.
Through this grant project, we will continue to focus our efforts to achieve our three main goals: Goal 1: To encourage Barn Owl conservation and preservation throughout Mariposa County.
Goal 2: To reduce the amount of rodenticides (poisons) used throughout our county which are counter-productive and environmentally destructive to the Barn Owl populations and the Mariposa County ecosystems.
Goal 3: To educate and instill in the youth of our county the importance and impact of wildlife behavior, reproductive habits, diet, habitat requirements, and the danger of predators. In accordance with the initial grant proposal, the Barn Owl Conservation Project is on track to meet its three main goals and objectives. Although our timeline was adjusted to meet the needs of vendors and volunteers, the Barn Owl boxes were completed and delivered to the educational sites by November 2014 and all of the boxes will be installed before the 2015 nesting season commences. And due to the vast generosity of the several community businesses and numerous volunteers, the Barn Owl Conservation Project came in well under budget.
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