Recent Articles from BRMC Newsletters

‘Hands On’ Project

Over the years BRMC has worked with local youth from public schools, private schools, home school groups and other groups to educate them on the many "wonders of nature".

Last year we contacted Jayne Frelin, Volunteer Coordinator at the Prince William County Juvenile Detention Center to propose a joint venture to establish a birdhouse project. On our initial visit to the center, Jayne gave us a tour of the facility and we met many of the boys and girls residing there. The kids created a nice enclosed garden area complete with a small pond and flowers to attract butterflies. There was even a hummingbird feeder. In the summer, a hummingbird would fly over the high walls to get to it. The pond courtyard is a "certified backyard habitat" with the National Wildlife Federation. Inside the high fence that surrounds the building there were several small vegetable plots that the residents are able to work in if they earn their behavior level status.

Since Jayne agreed, we returned to the detention center in December with enough cedar wood and materials to make around a dozen bluebird nest boxes. Everyone had a great experience working together to create these boxes that we planned to mount at the center as well as at BRMC.

In early March, these boxes were placed around BRMC area and at the detention facility site. While not all bluebird houses will get bluebirds, other species using them include tufted titmice, Carolina chickadees, house wrens and some other possible species.

The birdhouses at the detention center can be seen from the gazebo that the kids built with volunteers from the scouts and other community volunteers. This project was a 2005 "Join Hands Day" project winner. Out of over two thousand entries, they were one of only twenty chosen winners.

Working on projects such as those mentioned instill pride and a sense of accomplishment for these individuals who we expect have good opportunity to go on to productive lives. Jayne was pleased with the results of our joint venture and it appears that the kids are looking forward to coming out to volunteer on future projects at BRMC.