We are happy to announce that Oxbow was recently awarded a grant by Conservation, Research and Education Opportunities International (CREOi), a small Seattle conservation nonprofit, to investigate the impacts of our habitat restoration on bird life around our property.

Under the grant provisions, Oxbow will work with an avian ecologist to conduct a study of bird diversity, both property-wide and specific to various habitat types. The grant will also support the development of new stewardship and conservation components to Oxbow’s in-school educational programs.

Oxbow’s Restoration Coordinator, Matt Distler, will oversee the project as a component of Oxbow’s larger effort to evaluate our land restoration work. Matt came to Oxbow last fall to begin a comprehensive, three-year study of the overall ecological health of our property.

As a component of Matt’s project, the grant-funded bird study will provide insight into how Oxbow’s wildlife is using the habitat we are continually creating and maintaining. This knowledge will factor into our overall understanding of the success of our past restoration efforts and will guide future restoration planning.