A bird in the hand, and potentially in 22 nest boxes, leads Ligonier teen to Eagle Scout title

Oliver Sparks’ Eagle Scout project is for the birds — literally.

The Ligonier Valley High School senior recently attained the top Scouting rank by updating and augmenting boxes that support nesting by various bird species at the Powdermill Nature Reserve’s Avian Research Center in Ligonier Township.

“There were bird boxes on the research center grounds that were old and decayed,” said Sparks, of Ligonier Borough. “I thought it would be a great project to replace them and make a few more for local species.”

With the assistance of family members and fellow Scouts in Ligonier’s Troop 372, Sparks installed 22 new bird boxes at Powdermill and cleared some overgrown brush near a pond on the grounds.

Clearing overgrowth away from pond banks and stream edges keeps the reserve’s wetland areas open for foraging songbirds and wading birds.

Sparks, 17, fashioned five boxes each intended for black-capped chickadees and Eastern screech owls and four each for tree swallows, wood ducks and bluebirds.

Sparks researched designs for the boxes, subject to approval by Powdermill officials. He noted the duck boxes have an oval shape with a large opening for the birds to enter.

While some of the boxes measure as little as 6 inches on some sides, he said, “The owl and wood duck boxes are much larger. The owl boxes are hung up higher in some trees, so I had to get a ladder for them.”

Powdermill staff and volunteers helped direct Sparks to areas where the boxes should be placed.

“They guided us through their trails,” said Sparks’ father, Mike, who is a scoumaster with the local troop. “They determined what area would be best for each species of bird.”

The project benefited from donations of pine wood and a sealant applied to protect the completed boxes from the elements. Oliver Sparks used an odor-free sealant that won’t deter birds from occupying the boxes.

‘Immersed in nature’

“I’ve always had a love of getting outdoors and being immersed in nature,” said Sparks.

That’s why, beginning in 2022, he jumped at the chance to volunteer with Powdermill’s avian program after a fellow Scout told him about opportunities to help at the center.

“I got some work experience, and it was something I liked doing,” he said.

Beginning in the summer and continuing into the fall, after school or on weekends, Sparks would enter into a computer database information — such as weight and wing measurements — collected by technicians and older volunteers from birds caught for banding in finely stranded “mist” nets deployed at the reserve.

Sparks eventually learned to handle the birds himself. He was particularly fascinated by scarlet tanagers that were captured for banding.

“The first time they allowed me to hold one in a bander’s grip, I was blown away by the bright, vibrant red of its body,” he said.

In a bander’s grip, Sparks explained, the bird’s head is held gently between the index and middle fingers.

Sparks has avoided serious injury. “The worst I’ve had was when we caught a cardinal that continued to bite at my thumb as I was holding it in a bander’s grip,” he said.

Year-round effort

Banding birds for research purposes is a year-round effort at Powdermill, resulting in more than 830,000 banding records since 1961, according to Annie Lindsay. The site’s banding program manager and treasurer of Troop 372, she has overseen Sparks’ work there.

Lindsay said having Sparks lend a hand has been particularly helpful during the summer, in between the seasons when migratory species add to the local bird population.

“Usually, during the migration seasons, in the spring and fall, we’ll have 20 to 25 volunteers,” she said.

The data collected at Powdermill can help in tracking trends in different bird species’ populations. “We target small songbirds, but sometimes we catch screech owls,” Lindsay said.

Sparks’ Eagle Scout project developed when “he noticed we had a couple of wood duck boxes that hadn’t been used for years and were overgrown,” Lindsay said, “He researched what birds are here at Powdermill Nature Reserve and which of them are cavity nesters.

“Tree cavities can be somewhat hard to come by,” since such trees tend to be targeted to be cut down. “We put the boxes out to provide more nesting sites.”

A cast member in past theatrical productions at Ligonier Valley, Sparks appeared as the scarecrow in the school’s version of “The Wizard of Oz,” on March 27-29. He’s also penned articles for his school newspaper and has taken part in online writing workshops.

He plans to attend Allegheny College in Meadville, to pursue a career in creative writing, supported by a CAPA (creative and performing arts) scholarship.

He hopes to take part in the college’s community impact program, which could include the opportunity to continue working with birds at an area wildlife refuge.

His most most important takeaway from his Eagle Scout project: “Assuming the role of a leader and learning to manage a team. That’s one of the most valuable things I’ve learned.”