PROJECT TO DRAW OWLS TO THE AREA BOY AIMS TO HELP RODENT CONTROL.Byline: ERIC LEACH Staff Writer SIMI VALLEY Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. -- First falcons, now owls, thanks to a local Boy Scout. John Casselberry Jr. and fellow members of Boy Scout Troop 662 volunteered to set up owl owl, common name for nocturnal birds of prey found on all continents. Owls superficially resemble short-necked hawks, except that their eyes are directed forward and are surrounded by disks of radiating feathers. boxes and perches Casselberry had built over the summer as part of his Eagle Scout Ea·gle Scout n. One who has achieved the highest rank in the Boy Scouts. Noun 1. Eagle Scout - a Boy Scout who has earned many merit badges Boy Scout - a boy who is a member of the Boy Scouts Project to help reduce the rodent rodent, member of the mammalian order Rodentia, characterized by front teeth adapted for gnawing and cheek teeth adapted for chewing. The Rodentia is by far the largest mammalian order; nearly half of all mammal species are rodents. population at the Simi Valley Landfill and provide better habitat for owls in the area. John, 14, said he had seen barn owls barn owl Any of several species of nocturnal birds of prey (genus Tyto), sometimes called monkey-faced owls because of their heart-shaped facial disk and absence of ear tufts. Barn owls are about 12–16 in. in his Simi Valley neighborhood and wanted to do something to help them and the environment. ``I hope the owls like them,'' he said. ``We spent a lot of time and effort on these boxes. There are no sharp edges, so the owls won't cut themselves. I couldn't have done it without my dad. When something got messed up, he knew how to fix it.'' His mother, Brenda, called her son's effort ``incredible.'' ``This project has been a huge amount of work,'' she said. ``John has worked on it for about four months and built eight owl boxes and five perches.'' The idea behind the project is to attract owls to kill rodents without using poisons that can move up the food chain and kill larger animals. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors The examples and perspective in this article or section may represent an unduly geographically limited view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. The Board of Supervisors is the body governing counties in the U.S. has urged agencies in the county to seek environmentally friendly Environmentally friendly, also referred to as nature friendly, is a term used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal harm on the environment.[1] alternative methods for controlling rodent populations. John's boxes are designed to shelter baby owls from predators. They are made with observation doors on the side to allow for research and cleaning. More than 25 members of Troop 622 volunteered Saturday to help him set up the boxes and perches at the landfill, 2801 Madera Road, just north of the Simi Valley (118) Freeway. Scott Tignac, manager of the Simi Valley Landfill and Recycling recycling, the process of recovering and reusing waste products—from household use, manufacturing, agriculture, and business—and thereby reducing their burden on the environment. Center, said that beyond the pest-control services, Waste Management Inc., which operates the landfill, sees John's boxes as an important way to provide shelter for baby owls. ``Human-made nest boxes can make up for any shortage of natural nesting areas, enabling these owls to live in places where they might otherwise be absent,'' Tignac said. `` ... This helps to stabilize stabilize See peg. their populations.'' In another bird-related project, the landfill for years has used falcons provided by a San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. Valley-based trainer to chase away sea gulls at the dump. One of several falcons provided by the trainer is turned loose at the landfill at various times during the week to go after the sea gulls attracted by the garbage. The owls are attracted by rodents and naturally prey on the little creatures, said Eric Rose, a Waste Management spokesman. They will help the company keep the rodent population at the landfill to a minimum. Among the owls that call Simi Valley home are barn owls, he said. They are small and white with heart-shaped faces. They hunt at night in open areas, seeking mice and other small rodents. A family of six young and two adult barn owls can consume more than 1,000 mice during the nesting season. ``The owl boxes will provide important shelter to these beautiful animals,'' Rose said. eric.leach(at)dailynews.com (805) 583-7602 CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- 2) At left, John Casselberry Jr. has built eight owl boxes and five perches for his Eagle Scout project to attract more owls and help control the rodent population. He is seen here Saturday at the Simi Valley Landfill with one of the owl boxes, which stands more than 20 feet tall. Above, one of the eight owl boxes is erected at the Simi Valley Landfill on Saturday morning. Falcons are currently used at the landfill to reduce seagulls. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
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