Left: A newly installed Peregrine Falcon nest box mounted on a rooftop structure (photo: Grace LeCuyer). Right: A close-up photograph of a Peregrine Falcon perched against a blurred background (photo: Jeff Timmons).
Earlier this year, Indiana Audubon was approached by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife, with a practical conservation challenge. Two long-standing Peregrine Falcon nest boxes in Indianapolis were in poor condition and needed replacement.
Thanks to funds from the Mumford and Keller Grants and Scholarships Program, Indiana Audubon was able to cover the cost of materials for the new boxes. Indiana Audubon member Paul Labovitz, a retired National Park Service superintendent, donated his time to build the boxes and create custom laser-burned designs, ensuring they were both durable and thoughtfully finished.
AES Indiana assisted by transporting and installing the boxes at two long-established urban Peregrine Falcon sites in Indianapolis. With the installation complete, the sites are ready to support Peregrine Falcons for decades to come. The live camera at one site is already online, offering a real-time look at one of Indiana’s most iconic urban raptor success stories.
Once eliminated as a breeding species in Indiana due to the impacts of pesticide use, Peregrine Falcons are now a powerful example of what sustained conservation partnerships can achieve.
This was a one-time project, but it reflects how Indiana Audubon often works behind the scenes. Sometimes our role is funding. Sometimes it is connecting the right people. Often it is both. And member support helps make projects like this possible.
You can watch the live Peregrine Falcon camera at apps.aesindiana.com/axis/falcon.aspx.
Tags: mumford and keller
