This worked great until some very surprised people got the shock of their lives while sitting on the john! At the Boise National Forest about seven years ago, wildlife biologist Joe Foust received one of his most interesting calls. An owl was trapped in the toilet, and he was sent to investigate. Sure enough, when Foust peered down the hole, a set of eyes was staring back at him. After a very messy rescue with cleanup required, Foust was able to release the bird, a tiny Boreal Owl. His story and the accompanying picture quickly made their way around the biology social network.
Luckily, one of those people reached was Roger Smith, co-founder of the Teton Raptor Center (TRC). The TRC is a non-profit conservation organization based in Wyoming. Its mission is to advance raptor conservation through education, research, and rehabilitation. Along with Foust's Boreal Owl, TRC learned of other incidents involving trapped raptors including Northern Saw-whet, Western Screech, and Long-eared Owls, as well as other cavity-nesting birds including Wood Ducks, American Kestrels, and various species of woodpeckers. Vents attract birds because they look like tree cavities, which are used by some species for nesting, storing food, or roosting. Unlike cavities in trees, however, once inside these vent pipes, the smooth surface of the pipe doesn't allow their claws to grip, the tall vertical orientation is too much, or the birds simply fall into the vault and become trapped. Without a kind rescuer willing to get dirty, the bird will die. This is not an easy or pleasant topic to study, so no one knows exactly how many birds end up in the basements. However, with many thousands of vault toilets spread across the country, the risk is significant. While the TRC's primary focus is raptor conservation, this issue potentially affects so many species of birds that the TRC decided it had to do something about it; enter the Poo Poo Project.
Boreal Owl trapped in a vault toilet basement (photo courtesy of the U.S. Forest Service). |
According to David Watson, the TRC Poo Poo Project Coordinator, "We wanted to make a difference nationwide . . . one of our key goals is to create awareness." By producing a high-quality product at an affordable price, word spread quickly and made TRC's work go far beyond awareness.
As more and more biologists and land managers learn about the risk of vault toilets to wildlife, they want to fix it. In Watson's words, the Poo Poo Project provides a "simple solution to a nationwide problem."
Even better, the TRC team started a "Sponsor a Screen" campaign, in which donors can cover the cost of screens that then get distributed directly to parks or recreation areas in need. Lack of budget is no longer a reason for not capping ventilation pipes. Project partners are both public and private organizations. They include agencies that manage large expanses of land like the National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, as well those that work on smaller scales, like county parks.
Poo Poo Screen Installation (photo courtesy of the USFWS). |
How can you help?
If you see a vault toilet that doesn't have a screen, please contact the facilities manager. You can let them know about the risk open pipes pose to wildlife, and offer a great solution: Poo Poo Screens. If they say screens aren't in the budget, tell them about the "Sponsor a Screen" program. Download the Teton Raptor Center's brochure to distribute. Click to learn more about the Poo Poo Project, the Teton Raptor Center, and other ways you can help.
- Emily Clark, Sonoran Joint Venture http://sonoranjv.org/