Bellport student helps birds to nest
Jake D'Esposito, a junior at Bellport High School, recently spearheaded the creation of a purple martin colony at Squassux Landing in Brookhaven. He was honored last month at the South Country School District's Board of Education meeting. Credit: South Country Central School District
A Bellport High School student recently spearheaded a project to create homes for birds that rely on human-built nesting structures.
Jake D'Esposito, a junior, led the creation of a colony of gourds for purple martins last year at Squassux Landing in Brookhaven. Purple martins, which are considered the largest swallow in North America, do not build nests in the wild and are frequently dependent on artificial structures for nesting, D'Esposito said.
D'Esposito, a member of Boy Scout Troop 47, tackled the topic as part of his Eagle Scout Service Project. He also was honored last month at the South Country Central School District's Board of Education meeting.
"I wanted to do something that would both benefit the community and the environment," D'Esposito, 16, said. Of seeing the gourds in use by the birds, he said: "That was a pretty 'wow' moment for me."
To start the project, D'Esposito first spoke to a neighbor who specializes in birds to learn about their nesting habits and then sought approval from the Brookhaven Village Association. The colony consists of a tall pole with six gourds at the top and a Songbird Magnet device that attracts purple martins to the structure by "playing their call," he said.
D'Esposito is also treasurer of his school's math team and a member of his school's Robotics Club and National Honor Society.
Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.
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