Scout Pack 28 makes pledge at city hall to install nesting boxes in marsh

Third graders will maintain swallow houses through 2026.

An enthusiastic acceptance in La Crosse’s city hall for a donation of tree swallow nesting boxes.  

Scout Pack 28 from Blessed Sacrament didn’t have to work hard Monday to convince the city’s board of public works to allow the group to install the boxes in the city’s marsh.

Good for the birds, says third grader, Will Flottmeyer.

“Most tree swallows can’t live in the wild,” he said. “They need to live in houses and other places.”

The boys built the boxes themselves and pledged to maintain all 12 of them through their high school graduating class year of 2026 – if, for no other reason, so they can get out the big tools.

“We were basically using hand tools, but … it’s really fun using power tools because we get to drill stuff,” Flottmeyer said. 

The boys were humble, however, about doing the project.

“It’s not that much (work),” Flottmeyer said. “We just work together as a team, paired up and did the job.”

The boys picked the project after learning tree swallows struggle to nest when there’s not adequate tree cavities to be found.

(Below: the nest box locations is the scout’s presentation)

PACK 28 SCOUTS (CLASS OF 2026) PRESENTATION TO THE CITY

 

1. Hello, my name is Aedan David.

We are Scouts from Pack 28 and 3rd Graders at Blessed Sacrament School.

Thank you to the Board for this opportunity to present this agenda item.

We would like to give 12 Tree Swallow Nest Boxes to the City of La Crosse as a gift, and place install these nest boxes in our Marsh.

The design of these nest boxes and the facts about Tree Swallows all come from Cornell University’s Department of Ornithology.

 

2. Hello, I’m Miles Weatherford.

I’d like to tell you about the Tree Swallow.

They are small songbirds. Like all swallows, they are fast and agile fliers. They have slender, streamlined bodies with short necks, and small bills that open wide.

They are easily recognized because of their long pointed wings and notched tail.

An interesting fact about the Tree Swallow is that it glides while flying more than any other species of swallow.

 

3. Hi, I’m Cal Smith.

The Tree Swallows have a distinctive color pattern.

Males are blue green above, and white below, with blackish flight feathers. They have a thin black eye mask.

Females are duller with more brown in their upper parts. The younger birds may have a blurry grey brown breast band.

 

4. Hello, members of the Board, I’m Harry Griffith.

Unfortunately, there are only half as many swallows as we had 50 years ago.

According to the North American Breeding Bird Survey, overall populations of swallows declined between 1966 and 2014 by 49%.

One of the reasons for this is the availability of nesting sites. Tree Swallows are also sensitive to the pesticides in our environment, and they show an adverse response to climate change.

The natural cavities where the Tree Swallows make their nests are in small supply, and these nesting sites have been disappearing as land is cleared by people.

 

5. Hi, I’m Oliver Buck.

Our Marsh is one of the natural nesting habitats where Tree Swallows come from the South to reproduce.

They prefer to nest in wetlands. Wetlands provide open spaces to fly. Tree Swallows feed on all kinds of flying insects for food while in flight.

Our Marsh has many flying insects such as mosquitoes, moths, and beetles for the Tree Swallows to eat and to feed to their young ones.

 

6. Hello, I’m Rase Bakalars.

As Scouts and members of this community, we would like to do our part to help the environment and Tree Swallows thrive by placing more nesting spots in our Marsh.

Tree Swallows are unable to dig their own nest cavities. Under natural conditions, they must find a hole in a tree, hollow stumps, or even holes in the ground if they are going to lay eggs.

 

7. Hello, my name is Nathan Lindsay.

Because of the shortage of natural nesting sites, Tree Swallows easily accept nest boxes.

The nest boxes we would like to place in the Marsh would provide a safe place where the Tree Swallows can lay their eggs and raise their young.

At our last Scout meeting, we learned about the Tree Swallow and had a great time using power tools. This is one of the 12 nest boxes we built.

 

 

8. Hi, my name is Louie Berendes.

The wooden nest box will be secured with brackets to a metal post.

We’ll place the posts in the ground according to the locations listed on the map. Twelve tree swallow nest boxes will be installed in the best locations of these 16 spots on the map.

The nest boxes will be placed about 100 feet apart in the marsh, and about 5 to 6 feet above ground.

 

9. Hello, I’m Jace Massa.

These locations are off the paved trail. Tree Swallows are active, good looking birds that are tolerant of people.

The nest boxes will provide a great place to watch these fast and agile songbirds.

We are committed to maintaining and repairing these nest boxes for 9 years until our high school graduation in 2026.

We will also move these nest boxes if necessary, and many of us and our families will continue to maintain these nest boxes after 2026.

 

10. Hello, my name is Will Flottmeyer.

Our project is also supported and endorsed by our Wiscorps in Myrick Park, and by the Coulee Region Audubon Society, and by Friends Of The Marsh.

With the Board’s approval, we will install the Tree Swallow Nest Boxes on April 29th or soon after that.

We hope the installation of these nest boxes will provide additional opportunities for the Tree Swallows to nest and raise their young.

We hope our Tree Swallow Nest Box project will be enjoyed by the community, and it will give people walking by a chance to pause and watch the birds.

Thank you for your time and consideration.