MILLSTONE — Six new homes will be placed at the historic Baird homestead when the weather turns warmer because of the efforts of the members of Girl Scout Troop 1765 of Millstone Township.
The young ladies crafted the homes for inhabitants who are blue and are a threatened species.
Will these new digs conform to the historic nature of the 1830 Baird homestead, a Federal-style farmhouse with Greek revival elements?
Joann Kelty, who serves as Millstone Township’s historian, said they will. The homes are specifically for bluebirds.
“Imports like starlings have encroached on the bluebirds’ territory. I thought that encouraging bluebirds back to the Baird property would be, in a way, historically accurate,” she said.
In fact, Kelty said, she came up with the idea for the scouts to build six bluebird boxes because bluebirds are a threatened species.
According to a brochure, “Eastern bluebird populations fell in the early 20th century as aggressive introduced species such as European starlings and house sparrows made available nest holes increasingly difficult for bluebirds to hold on to.”
In the 1960s and 1970s, the establishment of bluebird trails and other nest box campaigns alleviated much of this competition, especially after people began using nest boxes that were designed to keep out the larger European starling. Eastern bluebird numbers have been recovering since, according to the brochure.
Kelty learned through the same pamphlet that the bluebird is a threatened native species that has been beneficial to farms and farmers.
“By providing a habitat and a suitable dwelling for the birds, they can be encouraged to come back to the area,” she said. “It just made sense to me to encourage a native species.”
Kelty praised the girls who crafted the homes.
“All I did was forward some bluebird house plans to the Girl Scout troop and they really went to town,” she said. “These girls are great.”
Kelty said she got involved because the troop leader had contacted Pam D’Andrea, the township’s land use administrator, who put the troop in touch with her.
Troop 1765 leader Joanne Travers recently sent a note to D’Andrea to notify her the girls had completed six bluebird houses for the township. The troop consists of five students who are high school seniors. They are looking forward to seeing the bird houses in place during the spring.
The girls have a strong work ethic and a generous spirit, according to Kelty, who said, “I am very impressed with these girls and their troop leader. They are always on the lookout for projects to benefit the community.”