November 09, 2011
Glenn Pollock, a member of the Cole Creek Neighborhood Association in the Benson-Ames Alliance.
The Cole Creek Neighborhood Association is doing its part to make all of its residents feel welcome, even the feathered kind.
The group, with the help of resident Glenn Pollock, recently installed two wood duck boxes along the stretch of Cole Creek that runs through Orchard Park. The location is the site of The Cole Creek Project, a $1.6 million urban stream restoration initiative that’s the first to follow the City of Omaha’s Urban Design Element recommendation calling for the transformation of the Papio Creek waterways into a citywide public park and recreation system.
In the late 19th century, North America’s wood duck population was in serious decline due to severe habitat loss and hunting. By the beginning of the 20th century, the wood duck had virtually disappeared from much of its former range. The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 helped launch the recovery of the wood duck population, as did the development of the artificial nesting structure in the 1930s.
Pollock built the wood duck boxes from directions available on the Ducks Unlimited web site. Wood duck females typically build their nests in tree cavities near wetlands. When a prospective cavity is found, a hen wood duck will land in the tree and carefully inspect the site for a variety of characteristics, including size, shape and security from predators and the elements.
In many areas, wood ducks have difficulty finding suitable natural nesting sites, Pollock said. The boxes provide a man-made alternative that allows hens to nest in relative safety from predators.
The installation is part of the community outreach component of The Cole Creek Project, which is designed to engage homeowners, neighborhood associations, business associations and students in understanding their role in the local water cycle and incorporating green solutions into their daily routines.
The Cole Creek Project is a partnership of the City of Omaha, Roncalli Catholic High School, Douglas County, Omaha by Design, the Benson-Ames Alliance, Big Muddy Workshop, Hayes Environmental L.L.C., Lamp, Rynearson & Associates and Olsson Associates. It was funded by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District. For more information, contact Omaha by Design at 402.554.4010 or info@omahabydesign.org.