Project Overview
Open publication - Free publishing
Phase II
Field work is on hold for the owls’ hibernation, but STOP continues to monitor burrowing owls and promote awareness of the burrowing owl’s plight throughout the community. They’ve collected over 150 letters and drawings of awareness, educated over 200 students and adults alike about the fate of the Athene Cunicularia, created an online, educational Choose Your Own Adventure game called “Burrow Me Out” (www.owlgame.weebly.com) and an educational website (www.sdburrowingowls.weebly.com), made their own line of owl-themed merchandise (and donated profits to local owl conservation groups) and are putting together a Youtube documentary. STOP is planning to organize a local movie night, amongst other local events, to fundraise and further spread awareness.
Phase I
Canyon Crest Academy’s students created the organization STOP (Save the Burrowing Owls Project) and were given the opportunity to cooperate with the San Diego Zoo in an initiative to create new homes for local burrowing owls.
The idea was simple: use ground squirrels as eco-engineers. This strategy would not only reestablish ground squirrels, which were essential to maintaining biodiversity, but also expand available owl habitats. But the plan’s execution proved infuriatingly complex. Not only did it require the safe and ethical capture of ground squirrels from nearby ranches, but also the creation of a convincing ground squirrel habitat. Thankfully, the reserves were already suited to burrowing owls, which were introduced later.
STOP members worked for nearly a year, building holding cages, feeding and radio-tagging released and captured squirrels, and recording observations on individual squirrel behavior. They released some 350 squirrels into preserves in Otay Mesa and Jamul and captured and banded 19 owls.
The idea was simple: use ground squirrels as eco-engineers. This strategy would not only reestablish ground squirrels, which were essential to maintaining biodiversity, but also expand available owl habitats. But the plan’s execution proved infuriatingly complex. Not only did it require the safe and ethical capture of ground squirrels from nearby ranches, but also the creation of a convincing ground squirrel habitat. Thankfully, the reserves were already suited to burrowing owls, which were introduced later.
STOP members worked for nearly a year, building holding cages, feeding and radio-tagging released and captured squirrels, and recording observations on individual squirrel behavior. They released some 350 squirrels into preserves in Otay Mesa and Jamul and captured and banded 19 owls.