Green Gifts

FWCP Fish Projects

FWCP Wildlife Projects

Build a Bird House

Photo Credit: Larry Halverson

Owls are amazing birds but their habitat has been negatively impacted by human development in a variety of ways. By building an owl box you may be able to help them! These plans and instructions are suitable for several species of owls found in B.C.'s southern interior including the northern saw-whet, northern pygmy and western screech-owl. Once you have built the owl nest box, place it in a quiet location and you may be lucky in attracting a breeding pair. Send us a photo if you are successful!

Make Your Owl Nest Box:

Build a Bee Condo

Bees are attracted to bright white, yellow, blue or violet flowers, which often have nectar guides - lines on the flower that point to the nectar source. Bees with short tongues prefer clusters of little flowers, such as marigold, daisy, and phlox. Native plants are better able to provide for pollinators because they are better adapted to the area.

Bees need a place to live. Try making your own bee "condo" from a piece of firewood or a stump.

Lynn Westcott

This bee "condo" was made by taking a round of firewood and drilling a multitude of holes ranging in diameter from 3/32" up to 1/4", with all drill bit sizes in between. Cavity-nesting native bees often use the vacated holes of the larvae of wood-boring beetles so this bee "condo" mimics what the bees would use in nature. The holes are a minimum of 3/4" apart (centre to centre), but otherwise randomly scattered over the firewood.

Angus Glass

On top of the condo is a water source (for birds and bees), complete with a floating cork or small stick that will help to allow insects get out of the water if they fall in!

More instructions on how to build your own bee nest.

Build a Bat House

With more than 1,100 species of bats, making up almost one quarter of all mammal species on the planet, bats are critical to the ecosystem. They are also a great way to help control pests without having to resort to using insecticides.

A single little brown bat can, for example, consume 600 mosquitoes an hour, and a colony of 150 big brown bats can get eat up to 18 million root worms each summer. Both of these species are found in southern B.C.

Many bat species – up to 50% of them - are in severe decline or already listed as endangered according to Bat Conservation International. You can help by building a bat box. Check out these links for a range of bat house options.

Bat Conservation International:

http://www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/install-a-bat-house.html

There are lots of house designs at these links. Find the one you like and start building.

Buy a Shirt or Hat

Angus Glass

FWCP's soft organic bamboo shirts are a cozy gift year-round and so are our organic cotton hats. Purchase a shirt for $20 or a hat for $12. Get both for $30. All proceeds will go to BEAKS – Bird Emergency & Kare Society - and will help injured birds.

Order your shirts or hats by December 15 and we will mail your purchases to you via Canada Post. Order now or call 250-352-6874. Payment by cheque payable to BC Hydro (FWCP). Be sure to tell us how many and what sizes.