That’s the sound Litchfield Garden Club (LGC) members hope to hear as owls find their way into their brand new nesting boxes. The Conservation Committee, chaired by Grace Yagtug, commissioned the Washington Supply Company in Washington Depot CT to supply homes for the Eastern Screech-Owl. To date, fifteen boxes have been purchased by members with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Conservation budget.
The new owl boxes will be installed at various locations in Litchfield and the surrounding area. While the dimensions of the boxes are preferred by Eastern Screech-Owls, other birds, particularly kestrels, can create nests as well.
The implications of this small conservation step are significant. Each owl pair produces approximately five or six babies. LGC efforts have the potential to create homes for up to ninety new baby owlets. Small steps can make a big difference.
During the last two years, the Litchfield Garden Club Conservation Committee created both a Pollinator Garden and Rain Garden nestled under wild black cherry trees at the 4000-acre White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield. The group “broke ground” just before the pandemic. The gardens became a haven where one or two socially-distanced members, working in shifts, could spend time together. Once Covid restrictions were eased, small groups gathered to continue the project.
