Project 1 – 2002 - Osprey platforms - Students to the rescue - saving osprey eggs and chicks!

Caldwell County Elementary School (CCES) was contacted by KEEP, Inc. and asked if CCES would be interested in helping Kentucky’s ospreys, a Kentucky threatened species. Elementary students participating in a Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) were excited about an opportunity to learn about ospreys and to directly help a species in need. KEEP and the project teacher taught osprey basics to the elementary students. When fully prepared, the students presented osprey programs to community organizations raising over $500 in donations in just two weeks to purchase enough materials for four freestanding steel osprey platforms.

The STLP students also presented their program to the near-by Kentucky Technical Vocational School (KTVS) students welding class. KTVS students became very interested in helping ospreys and agreed to help the elementary students design the new platforms with KEEP and school instructor assistance. Students helped design the new osprey platform after studying the requirement for the platform to prevent nest flooding and nest destruction by high winds.  Additionally, vocational students were involved in design needs leading to a long lasting effective steel platform and support pole. Design constraints included being able to install the platform in only one trip to the lake with only three people. An earlier design used by a federal agency at Lake Barkley involving twelve osprey platforms required at least seven strong men and two trips over two days to install each platform. The KTVS students constructed the osprey-nesting platforms for the project. (Photos available)

After learning about specific Lake Barkley habitat where ospreys prefer to nest, KEEP taught students how to use navigation maps and a gps unit. Students used new skills to prepare a map with seven student recommended sites for the four new platforms. The approval agencies, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) and US Army Corp of Engineers, reviewed the site locations in the field and approved four of the suggested locations for new platforms. KDFWR and KEEP worked together to install three platforms by boat during the winter at mid-lake sites. All three platforms had ospreys successfully nest the first season the platforms were available in 2003 and all subsequent seasons! This project demonstrated that local funding can be obtained by knowledgeable elementary students for a very worthy student wildlife conservation project. Students learned the importance of public communication using factual natural history knowledge combined with wildlife images and knowledge of area specific wildlife conservation needs. Results included student and public awareness, appreciation and involvement to help a threatened wildlife species to recover. 

To continue our progress, your assistance is needed. Additional funding and volunteer vocational schools are required to construct additional freestanding platforms for Lake Barkley and other Kentucky lakes. Several additional osprey nests are presently located on flood prone tree root-wads at Lake Barkley. New osprey platforms at these sites would prevent future egg and chick losses due to high lake levels. Those interested may make donations to KEEP, Inc. to specifically fund new osprey nesting platforms. To donate for this project click here. Materials for a freestanding osprey-nesting platform with a steel platform and twenty-two feet of steel pipe cost approximately $175 per unit. Click here to see a plan and photos of the KEEP/student designed osprey-nesting platform. If you would like to fund a new platform the platform can be named in your honor if you or your organization would like to “adopt” or donate a platform. Results of nesting at your platform will be available as long as KEEP is supporting and/or conducting the annual Lake Barkley osprey nesting survey so you will know how your donated platform is doing.