Students Build Audubon Bird-Watching Platform
Students in Professor Elijah Huge's Architecture II class last semester were commissioned by the Mattabeseck Audubon Society to design and build this split-level bird-viewing platform over a former cranberry bog in the Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary in Portland, CT.
“We had been struggling with a way to provide an optimal experience at our sanctuary, especially since a colony of beavers had changed the site to such a degree that access was a serious challenge,” says Mattabeseck Audubon Society President Alison Guinness.
“This also became the challenge for Elijah Huge and his students, who have not only created a sustainable project but put in long hours under adverse conditions. When other students were enjoying the spring season, the architecture class was knee deep in mud and water, swatting mosquitoes, and dripping with sweat or rain. We were impressed by their architectural skills, professionalism and dedication to the project, and we are very grateful that our sanctuary is once again available for a unique environmental experience.”
It's called "SplitFrame", and there will be a reception for the project this weekend at the sanctuary if you are interested in the prospect of viewing such local birds as "Redwing Blackbirds, Scarlet Tanagers, Hooded Mergansers, and the occasional Great Blue Heron."
Read more about the project at the Wesleyan Connection.
SplitFrame Reception
Date: Sunday, October 19
Time: 2 pm
Place: Helen Carlson Wildlife Sanctuary (directions here)
