project leader
Cait F
location
350 Wild Ave.
Staten Island (Travis)
latest update rss
Thinking outside the Bird Box

the project

Freshkills Park, formerly the world’s largest landfill, serves as a model case study in ecological restoration. This project gives the public a lens into the process of restoration on a typically closed site using digital tools, remote investigations, and citizen science. This unique digital app will broadcast the ongoing ecological restoration of the Park and create new potentials in the often opaque field of scientific research. We are working to launch the app with a section highlighting one of our research projects investigating the health of the park’s cavity nesting birds.

This first phase entails outfitting two bird boxes with sensors that will detect a bird's comings and goings. When the sensor is triggered, a message “from the bird” will be sent to our Twitter followers along with a still image. The message will direct remote visitors to watch a live feed of the interior of the bird box. This first phase will inform a wider network of bird boxes around the entire 2,200-acre park with an accompanying visualization. Seed funding will support this proof of concept that will allow us to seek funds for the larger project that also includes tech workshops for youth to build the “live tweeting” bird boxes. We want to share some of the restoration outcomes (such as the return of bird species) with the public, and get youth excited about using technology in ways that actually get them to spend more time interacting with nature and the outdoor world. 

the steps

We will build our first tweeting/video streaming bird box, with help from some techies who are better at this than we are, that will consist of a live streaming bird cam and an infrared sensor to detect arrivals/departures which will be fed to a Raspberry Pi computer. Software will be written that will process all of the inputs and send both tweets and live video feeds to the internet. The funds will support the hardware costs, and the labor of a freelancer versed in these builds to help us.

why we're doing it

The communities on Staten Island surrounding the Park struggled with the impact of landfill operations for over half a century. Residents were burdened by persistent landfill odors, air pollution from truck traffic, noise, and open mounds of garbage matted with seagulls. The site is now a haven for wildlife and a textbook example of ecological restoration. The Tweeting Bird Box project will allow the community to begin to experience the Park before it's fully open and will give area youth new ways to learn by incorporating technology into environmental science.

The project will aid some of our existing research. Along with giving the general public a lens into the activity of the park’s growing bird population, it will produce data related to the activity levels and prevalence of these cavity nesting birds for use by the scientists studying these bird populations at the park. Our hope is that the project will also publicize to the scientific community that there is a great opportunity for research focusing on the process of ecological restoration at Freshkills Park, and that by providing these opportunities for people to access the transformation at the park, we will see increased investment in its continuation and in the health of our green spaces as a whole.

budget

Disbursement Budget:

Same as the 'Updated Budget', below, plus an additional 1.96 hours of labor will be possible with the additional funds of $97.89 we raised (thank you!)

 



RAISED = $3,884.00
 less ioby Platform Fee  $35.00
less ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $112.11
TOTAL TO DISBURSE = $3,736.89

 

Updated Budget (will allow us to build a few more bird boxes):

1) HD Northwoods Cedar Birdhouse, $149.95, Amazon.com

2) Birdhouse Spy Cam 110 Night Owl Extension Cable 100 Feet, $45.99, Amazon.com

3) EASYCAP USB 2.0 Audio Video Capture Adapter TV VHS DVD, $8.88, Amazon.com

4) Raspberry Pi 1 Model B+ Starter Pack - Includes a Raspberry Pi 1, $99.95, Adafruit x2 = $199.90

5) Raspberry Pi NoIR Camera Board, $29.95, Adafruit x2 = $59.90

6) Raspberry Pi Camera Case - Clear Transparent, $8.99, Amazon.com x2 = $17.98

7) SanDisk 16GB Class 4 SDHC Memory Card, $8.87, Amazon.com x2 = $17.74

8) IR Break Beam Sensor - 3mm LEDs, $1.95, Adafruit x2 = $3.90

9) Miniature WiFi (802.11b/g/n) Module, $11.95, Adafruit x2 = $23.90

10) Adafruit Pi Box Plus - Enclosure for RasPi Model B+/Pi 2, $12.50, Adafruit x2 = $25.00

11) 6V 5.6W Solar Panel, $67.50, Adafruit x2 = $135.00

12) USB/DC/Solar Lithium Ion/Polymer Charger - v2, $17.50, Adafruit x2 = $35.00

13) 3.7V 1200MAH 25C Li-Po Lipo Battery, $7, Amazon.com x2 = $14

14) PowerBoost 1000 Basic - 5V USB Boost @ 1000mA from 1.8V+, $14.95, Adafruit x 2 = $29.90

15) INA219 High Side DC Current Sensor Breakout - 26V +-3.2A Max, $9.95, Adafruit x2 = $19.90

16) Male DC Power adapter - 2.1mm plug to screw terminal block, $2, Adafruit x2 = $4.00

17) One year of internet service 8-10 mbps upload speec, $485.84, Verizon

18) NETGEAR - N750 Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router with 4-Port Ethernet Switch, $89.99, Best Buy

19) Artist/technologist labor @ $50/hr for 45 hours, $2,250

20) Woodlink NABB Audubon Cedar Bluebird House, $22.70, Amazon.com



SUBTOTAL = 3,639
ioby Platform Fee  $35
ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $109
TOTAL TO RAISE = $3,784

 

Original Budget:

1) HD Northwoods Cedar Birdhouse, $149.95, Amazon.com

2) Birdhouse Spy Cam 110 Night Owl Extension Cable 100 Feet, $45.99, Amazon.com

3) EASYCAP USB 2.0 Audio Video Capture Adapter TV VHS DVD, $8.88, Amazon.com

4) Raspberry Pi 1 Model B+ Starter Pack - Includes a Raspberry Pi 1, $99.95, Adafruit

5) Raspberry Pi NoIR Camera Board, $29.95, Adafruit

6) Raspberry Pi Camera Case - Clear Transparent, $8.99, Amazon.com

7) SanDisk 16GB Class 4 SDHC Memory Card, $8.87, Amazon.com

8) IR Break Beam Sensor - 3mm LEDs, $1.95, Adafruit

9) Miniature WiFi (802.11b/g/n) Module, $11.95, Adafruit

10) Adafruit Pi Box Plus - Enclosure for RasPi Model B+/Pi 2, $12.50, Adafruit

11) 6V 5.6W Solar Panel, $67.50, Adafruit

12) USB/DC/Solar Lithium Ion/Polymer Charger - v2, $17.50, Adafruit

13) 3.7V 1200MAH 25C Li-Po Lipo Battery, $7, Amazon.com

14) PowerBoost 1000 Basic - 5V USB Boost @ 1000mA from 1.8V+, $14.95, Adafruit

15) INA219 High Side DC Current Sensor Breakout - 26V +-3.2A Max, $9.95, Adafruit

16) Male DC Power adapter - 2.1mm plug to screw terminal block, $2, Adafruit

17) One year of internet service 8-10 mbps upload speec, $485.84, Verizon

18) NETGEAR - N750 Dual-Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router with 4-Port Ethernet Switch, $89.99, Best Buy

19) Artist/technologist labor @ $50/hr for 30 hours, $1,500.00



SUBTOTAL = $2,574
ioby Platform Fee  $35
ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $77
TOTAL TO RAISE = $2,686

 

updates

Thank You

As winter approaches, we’re already looking forward to spring. By then, tree swallows will be building their new nests and Freshkills Park’s tweeting bird box project will be up and running to capture this activity.

With over fifty individual contributions, we exceeded our campaign goal, raising $3,884 in less than two months! We are so grateful to all who donated to help build this undertaking. Thanks to this support, springtime at Freshkills Park will become known as a time for education, understanding, and connection with nature. 

Thank you again to all who helped us build this project. Your involvement and support is deeply appreciated.

Knowing Where to Go

Thanks so much to all who have donated so far! At this point we've raised $2,905 and a generous donor has agreed to match all donations for our project in the next 24 hours. That means that every dollar you donate will automatically double and cover twice as much distance.

Speaking of distance, NPR's Scott Simon recently spoke with "Talkin' Birds" host Ray Brown about migration. Simon asked Brown how birds know where to go, and his answer is quite beautiful:

"It's a great question, and certainly that's still not completely understood. Among many birds, they seem to have an inherited instinct. We know this because they go without any accompaniment. They'll travel to a place they've never been to before and know how to get there. You know, they're following the patterns of stars. They're following the courses of rivers. They're following mountain ranges. They're following the coastline..."

As many birds are beginning their migrations away from Freshkills Park for the winter, we hope this project is in full swing by the time they return in the spring. Help us get there.

To listen to Scott Simon's interview with Ray Brown: http://www.npr.org/2015/10/10/447451385/getting-restless-for-winter-birds-start-their-migrations

 

The World's Most Beautiful Eggs

We're 3 days away from the end of our campaign with about $1,300 left to raise. If you'd like to see this project hatch and learn to fly, donate today! 

While waiting for our project to bring the birds of Freshkills Park to you, check out Freshkills Park researcher Dr. Mark Hauber’s ‘The Book of Eggs’ for some fantastic images of bird eggs from around the world. "Each of the book’s 600 eggs is photographed life size," Adrian Barnett writes in this review, "with magnified views of the smaller ones to allow us to appreciate the detail." 

Whether large or small, your donation will also be appreciated.

Hatching an Idea

 

Thanks again to all who have donated to support this project so far. With just $1,649 left to go, we are getting closer and closer to putting this idea into action! 

In many ways, Freshkills Park is still in its idea stage. As the site opens in phases from the outside in, many people wonder about the landscape, the plants and animals, and the possibilities within. This tweeting bird box project is one way to open Freshkills Park from the inside and show the public what is possible. 

Whether you're a teacher, a bird enthusiast, a Staten Island resident, or someone who has always wanted to visit Freshkills Park, we hope you take the next few minutes to make a contribution of any amount to this campaign. If we reach our goal in the next 9 days, we can begin to seriously start hatching this project. Thanks to you, it will learn to fly. 

Our project featured on ioby's national blog!

Click on the image to read the full article! 

Communication: For the Birds?

 

When we think about communication, we usually think about the social interactions that take place between people, but the exchanges that happen between animals can be equally compelling and complex.

 

As part of its video series, CUNY Macaulay Honors College's "Science Forward" seminar explores what we can learn from studying the ways that animals communicate. "Based on our current scientific knowledge, human speech and communication abilities are considered unusually sophisticated," the video explains. "The vocal learning that humans do is present in some other species, including zebra finches." 

 

For humans, communication is one of the most important aspects of everyday life. With the help of technology, it allows us to connect with one another across both tables and continents. The tweeting bird box project and overall bird research at Freshkills Park aims to explore those same kinds of connections with tree swallows and house wrens. That way, we can feel more connected to the birds who find homes in New York City's parks. "As we learn more about animals, we can use what we learn to protect them, and to provide the public with a greater understanding of their amazing abilities."

 

Freshkills Park recently partnered with CUNY Macaulay Honors College for BioBlitz, a 24-hour biological survey of the park. You can watch their "Science Forward: Animal Communication" video here.

Bird's Eye View: Audubon's Look at Freshkills Park

 

 

Thanks to all who have donated to support the campaign so far! Our Tweeting Bird Box project is already more than 50% funded, and we keep getting closer to our goal thanks to your interest and support. 

 

As the campaign progresses, bird research continues to take place at Freshkills Park. Audubon Magazine's Elizabeth Royte, Diane Cook, and Len Jenshel visited earlier this year and observed researcher Mark Hauber's work with the seventy bird boxes populating the site. "Open space is a rare commodity in dense cities;" she wrote, "that’s why Central Park is so important to resident and migratory birds. Considering its size, and with a richer mix of habitats, Freshkills may be even more significant, ornithologically speaking."

 

Our Tweeting Bird Box will help communicate this ornithological significance, inviting a wider audience to learn about Freshkills Park's growing bird population. While more and more tree swallows find a home at the site, building nests that Royte calls "elaborate architecture," we hope you consider supporting this project. The more we can raise awareness about bird populations at Freshkills Park, the more people will understand "nature’s vast power to heal."

 

Read the full Audubon Magazine article here.

photos

This is where photos will go once we build flickr integration

donors

  • roberta coles
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