District elementary schools get busy with birdhouses

In November and December, the nonprofit organization Elpis Enterprises has been visiting schools around the district to give fourth grade students information about birds and help them to build birdhouses of their own. Some of the participating elementary schools included Birch Grove School for the Arts, Cedar Island, Fair Oaks, Palmer Lake and Zanewood Community: A STEAM School. 

During the presentations, leaders from Elpis Enterprises share information about birds such as the different types of birds that live locally, the benefits of having birds in your yard and differences in bird calls. After learning about birds, students then get to work with hammers, nails and drills to build birdhouses for their own yards. 

The birdhouses themselves are made from recycled cedar fences, and the non-profit provides paid internships to young adults impacted by homelessness to help run the birdhouse building projects around the metro area.

Karl Erickson, the Elpis woodworking program manager, attended Osseo Area Schools himself as a student, including Fair Oaks Elementary, North View Middle School and Osseo Senior High School.

“I hope to help students gain a better appreciation and passion for nature, gain confidence and learn about new tools and equipment to create unforgettable memories as part of a school day,” Erickson said.

Through the nonprofit’s “This Land of 10,000 Diverse Fourth Grade Birdwatchers” program, Erickson said Elpis Enterprises has worked with 8,600 students to build birdhouses at over 115 schools. The Osseo Maple Grove American Legion, Palmer Lake VFW and Crystal VFW sponsored these visits to Osseo Area School sites.